The Golden Feather
by knapper11
Summary: The warriors of the Jade Palace have returned from Gongmen city, only to find that the Emperor of China has taken a keen interest in them. Po has reached a turning point where he must decide not only his own fate, but that of China, Kung-Fu, and a certain Tiger. Oogway's past and many other mysteries are revealed. Rated T just to be safe. Focus on character development. Ti/Po
1. Chapter 1: The Golden Feather

**Hey fellow KFP fans! Just a quick note before the story. This takes place soon after the events of KFP 2. This story has been published with the title of the first chapter. I will give the whole story a proper title if and when I finish it. Just so you know I do NOT consider most of the Legends of Awesomeness series to be legitimate KFP. I can understand how people like it but I just feel it warps the characters into something they are not and is way too silly. This makes sense as the movies were designed to appeal to all age groups, and the cartoons well… were made for jumpy little kids. I admit they are still pretty charming (and yes I watched them!). The Secrets of the Furious Five and the Secrets of the Masters shorts totally count though. I hope you enjoy this, and please be as brutal as you like with the reviews. The reviews will keep this thing going, and if enough people like the story then I'll update it with another chapter in a week or two. (I promise it will be another long chapter!)**

It was early in the morning in the Valley of Peace. Very Early. The sun had not yet cleared the horizon, and the nearby mountaintops were wreathed in mist. Zheng, the head servant of the Jade Palace, had just finished his morning tea.

The esteemed furious five had to get up at the gong, and the venerable master Shifu even earlier, but Zheng was up before them all. He better than anyone else knew the unholy hours before dawn, when the dew was thick on the grass and the bones creaky. Zheng stretched and settled into the morning routine he had repeated for over three decades. The uniform seemed to put itself on, and the door to his simple abode swung open with a familiar creak.

Zheng's associates were already hard at work tending to the Palace. The well-manicured lawns and gardens certainly didn't take care of themselves, and the countless antiques, statues, and paintings required a dedicated team of curators. Zheng attended to a few minor errands, put together a grocery list after checking the larder, then started to make his way to the village gong just South of the palace. Suddenly, the old goose realized he was not alone on the path that morning. Po seemed to be running, no _sprinting_ down the path to the palace. Zheng had never seen someone so big move so fast. "Master Po, is something wrong?" He inquired. "No Time!" Gasped Po as he ran by. "could you" *PANT "hold the gong" *GASP " a couple minutes?"

Hold the Gong? Preposterous. It rang three times a day everyday and had done so for over a thousand years. Zheng had never rung the gong late in his lifetime, nor had his predecessor, or even his predecessor's predecessor. He turned to politely refuse, but the panda was already out of earshot. It's not like he had a choice: Shifu would be angry at either him for being late or the panda for being late. Besides, Po caused him enough trouble when he broke the urn of whispering warriors for the –what was it now – the fourth time? No, that Panda certainly couldn't count on any favors from him any time soon.

Po was certainly not built for speed, but that wasn't stopping him. His chest heaved as he rounded the turn to the dormitories, and his calves burned like fire.

Meanwhile, inside the dormitories, Shifu calmly awaited the morning gong, lost in thought. Everyone had just gotten back from Gongmen city the previous afternoon. Perhaps, Shifu thought, getting back to training so soon would be a mistake. The red panda suddenly felt older than he ever had before. He had almost lost everything. No other battle had affected him and the five like the one against Shen. What would he have done if he had arrived in Gongmen to find the five dead, or even Po dead? His lifelong devotion to Kung Fu would mean nothing. Shifu involuntarily shuddered. Such thoughts had made him reconsider what was most important to him. Just how close had he come to losing everything? That is what his students, his family, had become for him. Shifu decided that he would go easy on them today, and hopefully they could recover from such an ordeal.

The gong rang out against the quiet, as the first rays of rose red sunlight slowly filtered into the valley of peace. First it graced the veins of pure jade in the nearby peaks, causing them to glow with a warm light. Then came the tile roof of the Jade Palace, followed by the courtyard and the thousand steps. Finally the whole valley came alive, the waterways sparkling far below. It was another glorious day for Kung-Fu.

"Good Morning Master" the furious five said in unison. Here was the fruit of his labor, his prized students. This was all that mattered to him now. Shifu chuckled as he noticed one door remained closed. It would seem Po had slept in again. Tigress gave an low growl, the kind that said "you're getting an ass-kicking today," but not a sound came from Po's room. "Can I throw the bucket of cold water this time?" Asked Monkey, cackling in glee. Shifu appeared pensive for a moment, then replied "No, for once I think Po deserves to sleep in." The five gave him looks of utter disbelief. "What? Saving China and Kung-Fu doesn't earn him anything?"

"So I should get that water then?" said Monkey, obviously thinking this was just Shifu's usual sarcasm.

Just then Po burst into the hallway gasping for breath. "What's going on?" demanded Shifu. This was seriously disturbing. Po NEVER got up before the gong. Something was seriously wrong. The five instantly took up defensive stances around the hall, ready for attack. Po got enough of his wind back to say "Nothing, I was just running around, didn't mean to be late." Shifu locked his icy glare right on the Panda, searching for signs of mischief. Po had always been a terrible liar. "And why were you, as you say, _running around_ before the gong. You, who have never once woken up before it was absolutely necessary. "

Po was a bit offended at this. " Well I was just, y'know, trying to get in shape for a change. I mean I'm sure Crane is a little fed up carrying me all the time. It's time I got some speed and agility going, and learn how to wake up on time." If the five weren't dumbfounded by Shifu's earlier remark, they were in a state of disbelief from what Po had just said. There was a terribly awkard pause, and Shifu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in amusement. The grandmaster cleared his throat, then said "For once it seems you have an acceptable excuse for being late." He then turned to the five. " I will see you all in the dining hall shortly." With that Shifu walked out of the dormitory.

None of the five could really make sense of what was going on. Crane's mouth creaked open like a hinge. Things had certainly changed with Po around. "Hey Shifu never has breakfast with us this is gonna be awesome!" Po exclaimed. Before anyone could say anything the panda was racing towards the kitchen, intent on cooking up a storm.

"Another day" thought Po "another day cooking for the furious freaking five!" Po hadn't taken a single moment of Dragon-warrior-dom for granted since the day he defeated Ti- Lung. Every day was literally a dream-come true for him, especially since the five actually loved his cooking. Even Tigress had quickly caved in and tried his noodle soup, and of course she had loved it. True the events of the past week had shaken him up a bit, but in a good way. Po felt stronger, happier, and more driven than ever before. He was totally committed to attaining "excellence of self" (Kung Fu). Po was a blur in the kitchen.

Kung fu and cooking, it seemed, had a lot in common. In less than fifteen minutes a lavish breakfast was laid out for everyone, and ginseng tea was hot in the kettle. Po liked to cook, but he absolutely loved cooking for the five. When he first started it was a sort of apology for his all-around oafishness and laziness. That first batch of secret ingredient soup he had made for the five had been a last-ditch attempt to earn a little respect. As his father had always said "The surest way into someone's heart is through the stomach!"

Even Shifu would occasionally join Po and the five for dinner. It during was times like that when Po would cook his pants off. Po began placing everyone's chopsticks, (even the tiny ones for mantis) when out of nowhere came a voice in his ear "you've outdone yourself yet again I see…" Po jumped and let out a surprised shout. Tigress had snuck up on him again! "Not that we mind" added Mantis from on top of her shoulder.

Everyone took their seats around the table, followed by Shifu. The mere aroma coming from the table was incredible. Shifu pretended to scold Po "If you keep cooking like this we're going to have to fire the palace chef!" "Yeah here's to Po's cooking!" Mantis raised his cup to a toast, met by all. Po was beaming "Thanks guys." Here he was, sitting at a table and casually dining with his childhood heroes!

That was the end of the talking for the meal. Everyone was just glad to be back home in one piece. The sooner everyone could go back to normal, the better. At the same time, however, everyone had begun to understand that there was no going back to the way things were. All of them had changed, if not from the last six months, then from the events of the last week. No longer were the seven warriors of the Jade Palace just bound by honor, duty, or even just friendship. They had become a strange sort of family. Shifu was hardly ever grumpy anymore; he was assuming the thoughtful, kind nature that Oogway had been so famous for. Out of no-where Tigress was not being so cold and callous. And when she was around Po she was, well- actually pretty nice. Tigress and Po were like a dynamic duo. Only Viper had known Tigress had another side, and she hadn't seen it since she first came to the Jade Palace. The Furious Five and the Dragon warrior even got a day off of training every week.

The five and Po finished their breakfasts and looked to Shifu for orders. He didn't bark out any sort of command, or reprimand anyone. In fact, he really didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. He gave them a fond smile and peacefully sipped at his cup of tea. Po couldn't take the suspense "so what's on the agenda today? Nerve attacks? Sneak attacks? An army of angry gorillas? Time to kick some –" Shifu interrupted him "Easy Po. Even though today is not the usual day off, I figured it would be best to relax and recuperate." He paused, taking another sip of tea. "There is no agenda today, spend it as you wish. We will resume training tomorrow." Tigress shifted uncomfortably

"But Master," Tigress protested "We are not injured and are-"

"Don't be absurd Tigress." Shifu said calmly. " You haven't even gotten the scorch marks out of your fur, and Cranes' wing is just getting better."

Here Shifu paused again, finishing his tea and seeming to stare at something in the distance. "And even if this were not so I believe recent events have deeply affected us all, especially you Po. No, today is a day for meditation and reflection. I will be going for to the peach tree to meditate, and I expect all of you to –how do you say it Po?- _take it easy_. That means nobody in the training hall, especially you Tigress." "And just when I got in the mood!" exclaimed Po, to everyone's amusement. Tigress, however, was a bit glum. What the hell was she supposed to do if she couldn't train?

Everyone did their best to find something to do. Po mentioned something about going down to the noodle shop, then snuck off. Viper just picked a warm rock to sun on outside the palace. Crane wrote a delicately brushed letter for an old friend. Without Po around to inspire them Monkey and Mantis quickly became bored, until they stole Po's action figures. They even got out the carving tools and tried to make a couple of their own. Tigress sat on the roof of the Jade Palace, scanning the valley and the grounds. Suddenly she spotted Po on a trail behind the Palace. That sneaky liar was up to something, no question about that. Tigress quickly caught up to the Panda, but stayed just out of sight.

"Shifu just had to be concerned for a change…." Po muttered under his breath. He switched to a gruff imitation of Shifu "I expect you to _take it easy. _" "Yeah because I know all about that! I'll show him!" He broke into a run. The path he had taken was the same one that led to the pool of sacred tears, and the alpine meadows where Shifu had first given him training. Po didn't need to go that far… only far enough so nobody else could see what he was up to. Just a couple miles down the path was an open grove of trees, with an understory of lush clover. After a quick glance around to make sure he was alone, Po walked up to the tallest, tree in the stand and cracked his knuckles. "Alright nothing personal buddy, just getting a little workout." With that he began landing a flurry of blows on the trunk. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow… they sure call you ironwood for a reason now don't they? Ow ow ow ow." Po kept wailing on the tree, oblivious to the Bengal Tiger right behind him. Tigress inched a little closer. This was perfect opportunity to pursue one of her favorite past times: scaring the crap out of Po.

"Taking it _easy_ hmm?"

Po nearly jumped out of his skin. After his hair stopped standing on end, he whipped around to face Tigress. "Oh M-MAN you have got to stop doing that! I think my heart skipped a few beats."

" A warrior must be constantly vigilant and aware of their surroundings. I thought you would have learned by now." Tigress said with an air of smug satisfaction.

"Fair enough but what are you doing here?" asked Po, his arms crossed defensively.

"I should be the one asking that question." Countered Tigress. "I can't stand liars Po. You said you were going to the noodle shop. What's with you today? You _never _wake up before you have to, and you certainly have never wanted to 'get in shape' before."

"That's not true! I had totally started dieting last—" Tigress cut him off with a low growl and an annoyed glare. Po couldn't help but marvel at her vibrant orange eyes, eyes that could almost pierce the soul... he could stare at them all day.

"What's going on?" She demanded.

"What are you talking about?'

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Snapped Tigress. Her expression softened a bit. "I'm just a bit… concerned alright? Is this because of what happened at Gongmen? What happened to your parents? There is nothing you have to be ashamed of Po. " Po plopped down on the ground and sighed in a melancholy sort of way, searching for the right words. He had already filled everyone in on his past, up to the nitty-gritty details of being found in a radish crate.

"I'm so sorry Tigress." Po blurted.

"For what?" asked Tigress.

"I feel horrible for what I said to you back in the jail. How could I say you couldn't understand what I was going through? You, who were orphaned before you could even crawl? No one is tough enough not to be hurt by that."

There was a pause. "How did you know that?"

"You're totally forgetting I'm like your biggest fan." Joked Po

"Oh right…" Tigress chuckled. "Monkey will never stop teasing you about those action figures." They shared a brief laugh. Tigress took a seat next to Po, knees held close to her chest. "You were so lucky to be found by Mr. Ping. Shifu never allowed himself to be any more than a master to me. I had always hoped that if I tried hard enough he would be my family on more than just paper, but that never happened. Perhaps that's why I had been so stone-cold to everyone, especially to you when you got the dragon scroll. " Her ears drooped down in sorrow.

"How could you say th-" Po started, but Tigress cut him off "Po don't…"

Po didn't care "But it's not true! I mean sure you were sometimes a little nasty when I first got here-" "And before that" added Tigress.

"-so what if you were a little then either? Can anyone really blame you for being embittered by what you've gone through? On top of being labeled a monster? I can almost relate to that! My whole life I've been the one big, fat, stupid, clumsy panda in the valley!" Po let out a long sigh, then continued.

"You're Tigress of the Furious Friekin' Five! Protecting people is what you do! What kind of Monster protects people? Tigress, make no mistake; behind that cold shell you put up is one of the greatest people I've ever met, my best friend, and one of the five reasons I love Kung Fu. Stop beating yourself up… please."

Tigress had difficulty retaining her composure. This was exactly why she had lost her will to fight when Po had been shot with Shen's cannon. He was her first, and best true friend in the world. He had given her the family, and the sense of belonging she had always dared to hope for. Hell, Shifu was even eating at the same table now, and frequently gave her praise. The last winter feast that Po had screwed up so perfectly had been one of the happiest moments of her life. For that one night, everything was right in the world. Po had even managed to get her to do some of those ridiculous folk dances.

She smiled inwardly as she fondly remembered the "Drunken man's Drivel Dance," which was really just everyone pretending to be horribly intoxicated. Monkey didn't even need to pretend, and Po just loosed his natural clumsiness. Even Shifu, with the highest reputation to uphold, had taken part; knocking over everything in sight and pretending to be a doddering old geezer with a hearing problem. Tigress had even surprised herself, cracking jokes, laughing and for once being the brunt of laughter. The children actually wanted to play with her, when before she had just frightened them. Po had given her things that had been almost completely missing from her childhood – a sense of being important to others, a family, and of course fun. Po had taught her how to have fun, plain and simple. The five now met her with more than just respect and fear. Tigress was no longer numbed by years of neglect and solitude, and was discovering an entirely new side of herself. She would rather die than go back to life as it was before Po crash landed in front of her. How could she go one if anything happened to Po? All of these things she couldn't bring herself to tell the Panda just yet.

Tigress didn't know if any of the other five had told Po what had happened in the factory after he got blasted into Gongmen Bay, or how she had cried, yes CRIED when monkey tried to rally the five. Tigress hoped not, as she absolutely hated to appear so weak. She figured she at least needed to at least tell him something.

After a few minutes Tigress managed to muster a whisper. "Thank you Po. I really needed that."

"Yeah don't mention it."

Tigress then switched back to interrogation mode. "You're avoiding my original question though."

"Yeah I just needed to get that off my chest. I felt awful after that night in the jail, especially after I almost got everyone killed again.. .hehe. I guess I'm trying harder for a variety of reasons, first and foremost because the fate of all of China and Kung-Fu was pretty much resting on my shoulders at Gongmen. I can't afford to screw up as much anymore. I've really got to focus. It's not like I have anything better to do anyway, being the last panda on earth. I mean c'mon what am I going to do raise a family? I suppose nothing else has really changed- I'm just going to take training a little more seriously.

Tigress put a paw on Po's shoulder "Your parents would be proud, and hey, if you wanna be hardcore, you're talking to a professional."

"Oh really?" Po said in a teasing tone. "Last time I checked you were a warm, fluffy little ki- OWW!" Tigress socked him hard in the arm.

Tigress leapt to her feet. " Now I have no intention of 'taking it easy' today either. Up for a little spar?"

"Do I have a choice?" Po grinned, getting into a defensive stance. Tigress answered with an onslaught of fists and feet. With that it was on until the evening gong.

That evening, thoroughly exhausted, Po had opened the door to his room to find Monkey and Mantis doing a vivid reenactment of one of their recent battles. Po was too busy laughing to get angry at them, and despite their protests immediately called over the other members of the furious five. The laugher reached a crescendo when Viper noticed that the Tigress figurine had a pink dress on. Tigress was not amused. Crane, being the oldest of the group scolded Monkey and Mantis for being so immature. Then he saw what they had done to his action figure, and began to scuffle with the pair to get at it. Before long there was an all out action figure war, and of course Shifu chose that moment to walk by.

No one even noticed at first. They were too busy beating up a poorly-carved Shen figurine. Even Tigress, master of Tiger style, was laughing her head off. This took Shifu by surprise. Suddenly he felt happy, warm like he hadn't felt as long as he could remember. Now more than ever he wished he could call her daughter, not just master Tigress. When he had first adopted Tigress, he would not allow himself to show any attachment, and very little affection. This was because of two major reasons:

First, that his love would again blind him to what he was creating, and second, that what was left of his heart would be ripped out if anything happened to Tigress. Losing Tia Lung had crippled Shifu both emotionally and physically.(his hip had been broken) Shifu didn't think he could ever love again. He had only adopted Tigress because he recognized her natural talents, and because of Oogway (who had actually scolded Shifu for what he had done occasionally).

How could he have been such a selfish fool? Tigress had needed a father, not a master. True he had given her purpose, and lifted her out of the misery of the orphanage, but that was no excuse for what he had done next. He had simply trained her constantly, harshly. He had empowered her to gain the respect and gratitude of the Valley, but not love. When he thought about it he could have very easily created a second Tia Lung.

All this and more became obvious the longer Po stayed at the Palace. Po had made the furious five and him into a family right under his nose! Suddenly Tigress was not only a perfect warrior, but a wonderful and kind person. This made him immeasurably proud. Why hadn't he ever told her how important she was to him? Was he some sort of coward? That first winter feast when he had seen her feeding the little piglet and making baby faces…. he hadn't even thought that side of her existed. He had felt so incredible sitting down at the table with everyone, for a moment pretending to be more than a master. His battered and tormented soul had been released by Po calling him "family."

Shifu had meditated on the subject much since then. How many cold, miserable nights had the little Tigress suffered with no one to tuck her in and tell her how loved she was? How had she not broken down when she was denied warmth, and caring? The answer was painfully clear. Tigress had erected an iron shell around her heart, becoming cold and unfeeling in an attempt to keep it from breaking any further.

Was it too late to beg for forgiveness? Yes, it was impossibly late, but he promised himself to do it anyway, and soon. Shifu suddenly snapped out of his train of thought, realizing everyone was staring at him as if they had broken something expensive.

Crane was the first to speak "This isn't what it looks like." Shifu quickly glanced at the scene before him, the six deadliest warriors in China huddled around like a group of naughty children. "Hmm….. then could tell me why my action figure is wearing makeup?"

The silence was deafening.

Without warming Shifu burst out laughing, then resumed walking down the hall. Everyone exchanged nervous glances. "This is bad, I think we broke Shifu!" Monkey said worriedly.

"No, I think he's finally developed a sense of humor." Viper replied with a soft smile.

The next day training resumed in earnest. Shifu decided that it was time to teach everyone the infamous "nerve attack." For several hours the students studied acupuncture diagrams, and practiced on their own limbs. Full-body muscular paralysis, like the five had experienced when fighting against Tia-Lung, was a long way away. No-one looked forward to the day they would have to learn that technique, as the experience was excruciating at best. Mantis, of course, was already the most practiced. He had been figuring out the subtleties of acupuncture for a couple years or so and had already memorized the pressure points for most kinds of animals.

After lunch everyone went back to the normal workout routines in the training hall. Training was much more enjoyable now that Po had come up with so many new exercises – "Teambuilders" he liked to call them. At first the five had dismissed such games as fun diversions, but over time the warriors began to function as a seamless unit. Often in combat they would work together in expertly choreographed combo-moves, like Viper's "Poignant of Death," or Tigress and Po's famous "Double Team."

At the moment everyone was starting a game of "King of the Hill" on the Jade Tortoise. Although not necessarily an effective teambuilder, it doubled the requirements for balance and situational awareness normally needed in that part of the training hall. Po was usually the first one knocked off, but he still had a great time. Crane wasn't allowed to fly, but he still ended up winning often.

Everyone took their positions on the edge of the bowl, and an intense standoff ensued. Making the first move was risky, but the person to make that move knew which direction the bowl would tilt and could often make a quick knockout. Of course, when two players began to tussle they ran the risk of both being eliminated if someone else just gave them a light shove.

Out of nowhere Viper snuck the end of her tail around Monkey's leg, tripping him up. Monkey had expected this, and grabbed her tail with a look that said "If I go, you do too!" Before Viper could wrap around the edge of the tortoise Po grabbed her near the head and swung her and monkey around like a ball and chain before throwing them at a very surprised Crane and Tigress. Tigress was narrowly able to evade the ensuing jumble by dropping down onto her back. Monkey's outstretched paws narrowly missed her, and found purchase on one of Crane's legs. With a surprised shout Crane, Monkey, and Viper were knocked off the tortoise in a jumbled heap. While Tigress was down she spun around and almost caught Mantis off-guard with her foot. Mantis Stood his ground and caught hold of her leg, trying to throw her. There was a brief struggle. Even though Mantis was excellent at channeling his chi (remember the bridge scene?) Tigress was able to hold on to the edge of the tortoise, then spin out of his grasp. She landed a kick, knocking him back a few feet along the rim of the jade tortoise.

Po, meanwhile, had started rocking the tortoise violently, forcing the two other survivors to cling to the bowl. Then he ran along the edge, causing the tortoise to begin to spin beneath him like a circular treadmill. Mantis got punted away as Po reached his side of the tortoise, but Tigress stood her ground and stopped the Panda in his tracks. They began to quickly exchange vicious punches and kicks, as they spun around in circles on top of the rotating jade tortoise. The rest of the five watched in awe as the two continued their lightening-fast duel, all while the tortoise span and rocked crazily. The previous spars between Po and Tigress had never reached this level of intensity. Po wasn't giving up as easily as usual. The two had begun to catch on to each other's styles and anticipate each other's movements, making the fight seem almost like a sort of deadly dance. What was really interesting was that they had grins plastered on their faces. They were really having a good time.

Po quickly shifted from the offensive as Tigress almost overwhelmed him with a series of blows. Po caught Tigress's leg in midair, but she had planned on this. Before he could try and perform a throw Tigress spun off his hand like a tornado and whipped out her other leg for a devastating kick. If he was going to win this he was going to have to resort to trickery before Tigress wore him down. Po ducked beneath Tigress's powerful kick, feigning a sweeping blow to her shins. Tigress, thinking he was trying to knock her over, sprung back several feet. Instead Po had leapt to the opposite side of the tortoise, then pretended to barely keep his balance in order to lure her into a reckless attack. Tigress took the bait and leapt at him with her double-palm strike, intent on quickly finishing the match. Po leaned to the side and grabbed Tigress by the wrists, using her momentum to try and fling her out of the tortoise.

"I don't think so!" Tigress shouted as she locked her paws back on Po's. There was no way Po could let her get back on her feet: she could crush him when it came to such close combat. He began to spin around, whipping Tigress around in circles. It was quite a spectacle! They were spinning counter-clockwise on the edge of the tortoise, which itself was spinning clockwise.

Tigress did not like where this was going. She let go with one hand and used it to try and smack him in the face. Her hand stopped within a hair's breadth of Po's nose. Po swiveled on his feet and changed the axis of rotation, intending to bounce her off his butt and out of the ring. Tigress would be having none of that business. In a fantastic display of flexibility and strength she twisted around in midair and kicked off the small of his back before he could wind up properly. Po was too shocked and dizzy to focus for a moment, so she twisted his arm as the momentum carried her back to his front. She landed a brutal kick to Po's chest before letting go of his hands, sending him across the training hall and into a rack of staves.

"That was AWESOME!" Po exclaimed from underneath a pile of training equipment, not caring that he would probably feel that kick tomorrow morning. Tigress stood smug and triumphant atop the tortoise, breathing heavily from exertion. The sound of clapping echoed across the sunlit hall, and everyone's heads turned in astonishment. There, near the door, was Shifu. He was practically beaming. Apparently he had been watching the entire time. "Well done Tigress! Well done! Although I must say I think Po almost had you there!" There was no" If you were trying to disappoint me" or other criticism. Tigress's jaw dropped in shock for a moment, then she clasped her fist in her palm and bowed. To say she was deeply affected would be an understatement.

Before anyone could say anything Zheng burst through the double doors, frantic. "Master Shifu! So sorry to disturb you, but we have received messengers."

Shifu gave Zheng an annoyed look. "Well then take their _message_ and I'll get to it this evening. Can't you see we are a little busy here?" Zheng shrank under Shifu's glare.

"But sir… th -these … are the personal messengers of the shining emperor himself! They came with a full honor gaurd, and are waiting in the main courtyard." Shifu's eye's went wide. Such an honor was usually reserved for the rulers of kingdoms neighboring China, and even then was a rare show of power. "Why was I not notified when they entered the Valley!"

"Forgive me master Shifu! They flew here!" Zheng groveled.

"Make absolutely sure they are fully accommodated!" Shifu commanded "Get every servant in that courtyard immediately if you haven't already, and let them know that we would be honored to have them ascend to the Hall of Heroes."

"Yes master Shifu!" shrieked Zheng.

Shifu snapped his fingers briskly. The five and Po wasted no time in lining up near the door. "I'm sure you all know exactly how serious this is. Communications with the Imperial city have been sparse since Oogaway passed. He had been close friends with every emperor for the past millennium and had personally represented all of the Kung Fu schools to the Emperor. It is _critical _that we make a good impression today, no matter what the emperor's wishes may be. The future of the Kung-Fu schools in all of China could depend on it." Shifu poked his staff at Po "This visit could quite possibly be concerning you. Remember that anything you do or say reflects me. What the Shining Emperor says is law- even if it means you will have to be his personal bodyguard in the capital." Po gulped. All of the five gasped in horror. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

Xui Yun, the mouth of the great shining emperor himself, couldn't help but be impressed by what he had seen so far at the Palace. Considering the places he'd been over the years, this really meant something. Mostly it was the servants. Yes, the Valley of Peace was a glorious sight to behold. The Jade Palace, with stairways hewn straight out of the mountainside, was impressive as well. Yet it was the servants that won Xui over. A good team of servants, more than any monument or riches could be a gauge of a place's state of affairs. For over a thousand years the Valley of Peace had paid out of pocket for everything. Everything was done out of love and gratitude for what Grandmaster Oogway had given the world. Oogway, in fact, had not even asked for anything at all. Of course he had loved the idea, although he wisely made sure that the palace was dedicated not to him, but to the spirit of Kung-Fu.

The people of the Valley worked for over a decade during the construction of the Jade Palace. All of this was the Valley's idea, the Valley's wish. In this way Oogway had been ten times as powerful as any king, or even emperor.

"Good leaders are anointed by others." Xui reminded himself. "The Greatest leaders do not order but inspire."

It was one of the most respected jobs, Xui had heard, just to be employed at the Jade Palace.

The greeting customs were flawless. Dedicated servants knelt at every step. Not a single one was even as out of line as to make eye contact. This was no easy feat, as the entire procession was a stunning sight to behold.

All of the Imperial host consisted of birds, obviously for the purposes of mobility. The honor guard's ranks were filled with an assortment of intimidating eagles or other raptors. Each was adorned in full ceremonial livery; light, colorful armor that was delicately inlaid with gold. Their helmets shone a brilliant silver and bore the Imperial crest in all of its glory. Their fantastically wrought halberds and swords glimmered in their grasps. Long, delicate golden banners flapped in the light breeze. Several scouts circled overhead, moving in perfect formation. Behind the orderly march of the guards walked Xui Yun, and his large assortment of servants.

Xui himself was of a species not usually seen in China. He was a Greater Loon. He had eyes the color of blood, and a jet black beak. His feathers were black everywhere except for a white collar around the neck and white speckles on his wings. Even his robe was mostly black, save for the gold trim. He was ferociously intelligent, and had travelled enough for ten lifetimes.

The procession began to ascend the steps to the Hall of Heroes in a two-bird wide formation. The advance guards flew to the top and landed with a well-choreographed flourish, clanging their halberds thrice on the hard stone they stood on. Appearances were everything. As the honor guard reached the entrance to the main hall they split to each side of the walkway, then turned to face each other. Not a step was out of place. Shifu and his students watched in anticipation from the far side of the Hall. Finally the blackness of the Loon appeared bit by bit over the horizon formed by the top of the stairs.

Step by step, Xui Yun advanced with his servants through the entranceway, past the priceless relics, briefly glancing at the memorial of Oogaway as he walked by. Stopping ten paces from Shifu, he began a long and graceful bow. Xui gave all of the students a lengthy, drawn out look, then said "It is the honor of a lifetime just to be in the presence of the saviors of China." His voice was eerie and musical. Shifu in return bowed even lower, then said "the honor is ours to host the representatives of the emperor." Xui smiled.

"News of Shen's defeat at your hands has spread like wildfire across the country. Do not think the Emperor is too proud to admit how closely he came to losing China. I was sent bearing letters from the Emperor himself and tokens of gratitude."

Shifu politely waved his hand " We were just doing our duty to the people of China. Understand we have no use for money."

Xui let out a long, songlike laugh that echoed through the Hall of Heroes. "His majesty has anticipated this perfectly. I see that Oogway's humble nature will never desert this place. "

Shifu grinned. "we can only try to hold ourselves to his high standard."

Xui continued. "His majesty has seen fit to donate considerable sums to your public welfare and orphanage anyway. He has also given the re-formed Master's Council the means the rebuild Gongmen as they see fit."

Xui motioned to his servants, who came forward bearing two finely carved rosewood boxes. Each was inlaid with the imperial crest; a golden sun over two feathers. One box was a bit larger than the other. Taking the first box, Xui turned and presented it to Shifu. "This is for you and your students. Please do not open it until I have departed, as I am not worthy to view the contents." Shifu graciously accepted the package.

Taking the second, larger box, Xui turned to Po. "His majesty is especially pleased with you, Dragon Warrior. Dare I say it, he may even be a fan." Po began excitedly fiddling with the latch. Xui placed his wing on the top of the lid. "The same goes for this box as the last. I may be the word of the emperor himself, but alas such honors are not mine."

Xui stepped back, and gave a warm smile to them all. "China is ever in your debt. Know this : if any of you should ever feel like visiting the Imperial city, you will get a royal welcome." With that Xui gave another long, low bow.

Shifu hesitated before returning the courtesy "You and your escort are welcome to stay at the Palace if you so desire."

Xui gave a longing look around " I would like nothing more, but I am expected to personally report back as soon as possible. We will fly day and night. "

"I understand." Shifu replied.

Xui began to turn, then said "However, I have a feeling we may meet again soon. Sooner than you think." He began to walk out of the Hall, and his group's entrance was seen again in near perfect reverse, up to the three raps on the ground. Then, with another elaborate flourish and a ruffle of feathers the emperor's men were gone.

**So there you have it! This is the first piece of fanfiction, or I suppose anything, that I have ever published. In all honesty I've tried writing before, but I ended up burning the notebooks to avoid the potential embarrassment of being found out by family/friends. I'm in college and writing KFP fanfiction? I should be practicing writing policy or Grant proposals. The situation reminds me a bit of Po being embarrassed about his action figures. I mean, come on here's a guy who's probably in his late twenties playing with goddamn action figures? How on earth can he be taken seriously? Why don't I just start playing video games again while I'm at it? I'm already watching cartoons again.**

**I published this story because I didn't think it was fair to read literally DOZENS of KFP fics and not put something out myself. Writing is pretty hard! I'm glad there are thousands of other people that were as touched by the movies as much as I was and I appreciate those who have added to the universe. This one's for you guys. **

**Probably everyone has their own little version of what's going to happen in KFP 3, or between movies. Screw it! Here's mine! **

**This first chapter was meant to sort of tie up the second movie a bit, so don't panic because there's no major buildup right this moment. **

**I'd love to hear what you have to say about my version. Would Shifu ever give the five a day off? Is my writing dull? Is the chapter as long as a typical book chapter? Did I get the whole Ti/Po thing wrong? I'm not necessarily suggesting there's going to be romance or anything yet. They are at least super close, based on the following evidence.**

**Tigress pushed Po out of the way of Shen's cannon blast, taking the brunt of it. She would give her life for him in a heartbeat. This means he is incredibly important to her, perhaps that she loves him, but it doesn't necessarily mean in a romantic way. She has totally changed as a person, and is super protective and huggy with Po. **

**Po obviously adores Tigress even a bit more than the rest of the five, and they are constantly the focus of emotional development in the movies. Remember that look he gave her when she did the jumping split kick? What about that whole Double Team thing? Apparently they train together a lot. I'm just scraping the surface here. **

**I'll take a notebook with me on my trip and have some more ready when I get Internet access again in a couple weeks. I'll shut up now, but thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2: Twenty Years Too Late

**Alright, time to find out what is in those darn boxes! Thanks for your patience, and for your reviews. Seriously, I was in the no-comment mode once before I realized the error of my ways. You don't even have to sign in! I need some constructive criticism here. **

**Also, there's some Ti/Po development coming up in case you're getting a bit impatient.**

Chapter two: Twenty years too late

On the pantry table there sat two boxes, and around these boxes sat the kung-fu warriors of the Jade Palace. Though technically these containers were in fact boxes, they were for all appearances small treasure chests. Who else but the emperor would invest in such nice packaging? If there was already gold on the outside, what extraordinary valuables could the boxes be designed to hold?

Shifu's brow furrowed in concentration. The five and Po nervously picked at their dinner, all of them eyeing the boxes carefully.

Po was really having a hard time containing his curiosity. Thoughts raced through his head in a blur. "The emperor gave me a package? The emperor is a fan?" He drummed his fingers on the table repeatedly.

"Well there's no use just staring at them is there? I'm gonna open mine up." Po said as he reached across the table.

Shifu smacked his paws away from the box as if Po was a naughty child.

"Hey it's my package not yours!" Po exclaimed, rubbing his paw.

"You have no idea what could be in there. Aren't you the least bit curious why the messenger wouldn't let us open them while he was around?"

Po waved his hand dismissively "Pl – eeeese you're being way too paranoid. Why on earth would the emperor put something bad in there? " He then made another move at the box, and was again smacked away by Shifu.

Tigress sighed in mild annoyance. Po had his strengths, but he could really be a dumbass sometimes.

"Although I admit the chances of there being something dangerous inside are very slim, in a twisted way it would make political sense for the emperor to try and dispose of us." Shifu began.

Po had a confused look on his face.

"We just saved the emperor's butt. How does that make any sense?"

"Because we just saved China on our own. In that light we have undermined the emperor's power. He knows that if we wanted to we could be the ones ruling China. More importantly, the people of China also know this. The relationship between the Kung-Fu society and the emperor has always been based on trust. Of course one of the top morals of Kung-Fu is to protect the weak and innocent, but as you saw with Tia Lung such values can be lost."

"I thought Oogaway and the emperor were like best buds or something?" Po said.

"Exactly. Oogaway has taken most of that trust with him. In fact Oogaway was the primary reason a unified China has existed for the past millenium." Everyone at the table looked up in surprise at this.

Shifu smirked. " I understand this is not exactly common knowledge – precisely as Oogaway would have wanted. His humility was one of his strongest assets. Didn't you ever wonder why China, the largest and most diverse empire in the known world, has existed in unity whilst war and turmoil roiled around it? "

Po raised a finger: "Because of its bodacious Kung-Fu warriors!"

"Partly" Shifu replied.

The five lowered their heads in thought.

After a few minutes everyone still had blank looks on their faces. None of them even knew where Oogaway had come from, or even how old he was. The old turtle had taken many secrets with him.

Shifu hopped off his chair and threw his jade cloak over one shoulder. "Come with me, all of you. We have much to discuss."

Po started to open his mouth, but before he could even get a word out Shifu said " Leave the boxes. Unlike me, they can wait" Po gave a groan of discontent and shuffled out of the room behind everyone else.

Out of the dining hall they walked, step by step down the meandering stairs to the main palace grounds. Shifu carried a little lamp on the end of Oogway's staff, which bounced to and fro as he walked. The first stars had just started to appear, and a cool evening breeze gently swayed the grass. Besides the wind the only sounds were footsteps. Past the palace the group went, and south along the mountainside until they came to a rolling path above a cliff overlooking a far portion of the valley. The path soon came to a small clearing, with an enormous and gnarly peach tree above it. The buds had just begun to emerge on the ends of the branchlets, oddly late considering it was spring.

This, of course, was the very tree that Oogaway had planted over a thousand years prior; the sacred peach tree of heavenly wisdom.

Shifu stuck his staff and lantern in the ground and sat beside it, motioning for his students to do so as well. They sat in a small circle around the lantern, curious as to why their master had chosen such a spot.

Shifu collected himself for a moment, then softly spoke: "thirty years ago I sat where you sit now, and I asked Oogway why this tree had lived so long. I didn't stop there. I also asked him why he himself had lived so long, where he had come from, what he _was_. Now that I think of it, I was sort of a pest."

Shifu glanced at Po briefly before resuming. "Before Oogway had always cleverly avoided such conversation, but for some reason this time he answered. Before I knew it a whole day and night had passed and he was still not done talking. It was a tale that defies the imagination, one that I cannot hope to repeat fully. I have written down the gist of his biography, but that was only small part of what he said.

Oogway had lived a terribly long time… through this millennium and the previous. He had to condense and simplify for me constantly. I began to understand that I would have to live at least as long as he did to even begin to touch the mysteries he had unraveled in his lifetime.

At the end of the third day he paused briefly so I could get a drink of water… I had been dying of thirst and had not even noticed. Oogway didn't seem to be bothered by thirst at all.

After I returned he would not resume the story, as much as I pleaded. It seems he had accidentally gone into a sort of reverie, much like all old men do. The only difference was that in this case what he had to say was actually interesting! I begged him to continue. He told me to meditate on my own mortality, and that trying to get all the wisdom in the world was like trying to 'empty an ocean with a teacup.' That was so like him, to speak in metaphor and riddles." Shifu smiled as he fondly remembered his old master. The eyes of his students remained riveted on him.

"Anyway, I got the answers to a few of my questions. The answer I will talk about tonight is the one related to the question of this peach tree's age. To my simple question Oogway had an even simpler answer. He merely said that he 'put it in the perfect place." Shifu paused and massaged his temples, frowning. A couple minutes of total silence followed. It seemed he was trying hard to remember something.

Po, being ever impatient, asked "soooooo…. what does the tree have to do with the emperor, or anything?"

"Will you give me a minute!" Shifu snapped. Viper whipped Po in the nose with the end of her tail. He grabbed his nose and mumbled something about old men and reveries, then was quiet again.

Shifu continued "You all know the story behind the Pool of Sacred tears***; how Oogway developed Kung-Fu through his extensive observation of the natural world. The story that is commonly told is only part of what happened. What few today know is that Kung-Fu as a fighting form was not the first defense-mechanism that Oogway created to protect the innocent."

Po and the five gasped in astonishment.

"Shocking isn't it? I will not tell very much of Oogway's story, just enough to explain why we need to be cautious with the emperor. Oogway had long hoped to protect the innocent and raise society out of the depths of competition and warfare. The reasons for this are another story altogether. At the time China was a collection of primitive nation-states that were constantly at war. Life was short, ugly, and brutish for most.

Oogway by no means thought he could create a utopian society, but he thought he could achieve a good measure of stability by addressing the main evils of want and ignorance. This first defense mechanism was not a combat technique. He said he had wanted to perfect the art of 'fighting without fighting.'

Oogway searched long and hard for answers. He eventually figured that if he could create a stable and cooperative agricultural/political system then the nation-states of China would have no reason for warfare. Over decades of experimentation and meditation in the wilds of the world Oogway had developed a grand design. All he needed was a place to put his ideas to the final test.

As you might guess, he settled down in the Valley of Peace (Not the name at the time) and got to work.

He showed farmers how to enrich their fields and feed their families. He replanted forests, cleaned rivers, healed the sick, built schools, and so much more. For a little while it seemed as if everything was working. Every crop was a bumper crop. Careful planning prevented too much growth. There was no longer civil strife, no more food riots, no more plague. Surely, Oogway thought, the rest of the world would see his city for the beacon of hope it was and follow its lead.

But It was not meant to be. Thugs, thieves, and warlords from other impoverished towns constantly ravaged the town for its riches.

Oogway tried to convert the raiders and savages, telling them that such prosperity could be theirs without the need for such violence. Oogway, after all, had been a pacifist.

Of course this didn't work, as it was much easier for the bandits to steal from others than make do themselves. Oogway was attacked and thrown aside. If it were not for his shell, Oogway likely would have met his end then and there.

The new prosperity of the Valley had only made things worse. The people of the Valley, who had at first praised Oogway's name, threw down their tools in disgust and collapsed into the same hopelessness they had been in before.

Oogway's spirit was crushed, and one day he walked back into the wilderness. Night had fallen, and as Oogway glanced over his shoulder from this very mountain he could see the Valley burning. He had failed.

All night Oogway walked, lost in despair with nothing but the stars for company. As dawn came he found himself in a grassy glade dotted with placid pools and massive slabs of granite. There and then he broke down and cried. He cried for the plight of the good-natured and innocent in the world, for the failure of a design decades in the making, and even for himself. "

Here Shifu took a deep breath. The lantern light swayed in a sudden cold wind, and the leaves of the peach tree rustled.

"As you can probably guess, this place is now called the Pool of Sacred Tears. After his breakdown Oogway regained hope and realized that strength and violence are necessary, if only for defense. Once again he looked to the natural world for inspiration. This time, however, he focused on the nature of his own body as well. He studied his form and how to make it stronger, developing a unique style like every Kung-Fu master does today. After a year of training in solitude, Oogway returned to the Valley.

With newfound confidence, he confronted a group of brutes that were stealing from the Valley's winter food supply. The thugs laughed, joking that the turtle had come back to lecture them. Oogway chuckled dryly and instead mentioned he intended to break them. Before long Oogway stood triumphant over a heap of ne'er-do-wells in the town square. In no time the Valley was back in shape, and everyone was rejoicing. Oogway taught the villagers how to defend themselves, and every night he retreated into the mountains to increase his skill. Soon word spread through China of a place free from fear, a place of bounty and happiness. After a hundred years of persistent effort behind the scenes Oogway managed to join all the nations together under a single ruling body. This ensured lasting stability and an end to inter-state warfare. He applied his methodology to China as a whole and so helped the first emperor rise to power. This emperor, a golden pheasant, worked under the guidance of Oogway and attended to political issues. Meanwhile Oogway continued to develop the fighting side of Kung-Fu, and the people of China preserved and perfected his other practices, like agriculture."

Shifu noticed Po's eyes were glazing over. "Pay attention Panda. This is where it gets important!" Po snapped upright.

"Oogway knew that an independent ruling body was dangerous if unchecked. Every time a new emperor took the throne he would have to be approved by Oogway. In turn, the new emperor would give up a crest feather as a symbol of loyalty and trust. For the Golden Pheasants a crest feather is a sort of blood vow. Now that Oogway is gone the emperor is no longer held to honor the old arrangements. He could do anything he wanted. I have no idea what Oogway's methods were for approving emperors to be, but let's hope he didn't make a mistake."

Po couldn't help but ask " What about the Peach tree?"

Shifu started.

"Right! The Valley had been famous for its delicious late-season peaches. When the Valley was raided repeatedly its heritage orchards were looted for the fine wood and burned. The last peach seed of that variety was trusted to Oogway when he liberated the village. He did all he could to find the perfect spot for it, and find it he did. He may have been the greatest Kung-Fu warrior that ever lived, but he was an even better farmer."

Everyone save Shifu laughed uproariously. Oogway a farmer?

Monkey raised an eyebrow "I never would have thought Kung-Fu was originally a gardening technique."

Shifu scowled "IT WASN'T A GARDENING TECHNIQUE! That's a gross oversimplification."

Monkey's voice shriveled "Kidding. Sorry."

"Can we open those boxes now?" Po butted in.

"If you will stop whining about it!" Shifu growled angrily.

With that everyone rushed back up the dining hall and jumped back into their seats around the pantry table. Mantis, of course, just jumped on the table. Shifu picked up the smaller box, briefly inspecting it, then set it on the center of the table.

The air was thick with anticipation. Tigress's claws dented the wood of the table. She would probably flip out if Po had to leave for the Imperial city. She was shocked at how easily she had already decided she would go with him, even if it meant breaking up the five. Po bit his lip so hard it bled a little. He was not liking the whole bodyguard idea either.

Slowly, and cautiously, Shifu poked at the latch mechanism with the end of his staff. He soon figured out that the golden sun at the center of the imperial crest functioned like a button, and began to push on it ever so slowly. Everyone was ready for something to spring out of the box. Poison gas? Darts? Was it Musical? Full of Diamonds? The mechanism creaked as Shifu pressed harder. Suddenly the box sprung open, making everyone jump away.

After a moment they slowly crept back over the box.

A sort of eerie glow emanated from its depths. Shifu reached inside and took out the contents: a small ornate scroll case and a feather. This feather, however, was of no ordinary quality. It was fully gilded, and It seemed to shine with its own light in the darkness of the room. On the end of the quill in bold letters was written _SHIFU_ . Everyone gave a sigh of relief as they realized what this meant. Shifu opened the scroll, holding it out for everyone to look at. Everything was written in the most ornate calligraphy that anyone, even Crane, had ever seen. It read like this :

_To Shifu and his students,_

_Forgive me for not contacting you earlier. The great Oogway had not told me his time was nigh, and in the void of his passing I was unsure which course of action to pursue. I'm sure I'm not the only one who entertained fantasies of him living forever. He certainly was an enigma. _

_That said, if China is to have any hope for another millennium of peace then Kung-Fu needs a new representative. Oogway must have trusted me to make a decision. How fitting that as he picks an emperor's successor, the emperor chooses his successor. That is so Oogway, isn't it? _

_This feather is yours Shifu, if you will accept it. I will know the second you do. No other is more worthy. _

_Congratulations on your glorious victory. All of China is grateful for your service. The last of the cannons have been found, and the cowardly weapons are being melted back down into pots, pans, and bells as you read this. The recipe for the explosive powder was never found, and none of those stinking wolves that survived knew of it. Good riddance._

_On another note, there is a secret I must share with you; Oogway didn't just write a thousand scrolls about the fighting arts. My old family records mention that Oogway wrote two other categories of scrolls entirely; one on politics and yet another on diverse natural studies. Now that Oogway is not around to help guide the Imperial family, the first group of scrolls could prove invaluable. I'd appreciate it if you could help me find them. I'm sure the latter group has already been turned into a farmer's almanac, so no need to worry about that. _

_That is all for now. I'll keep in touch._

_-The 30__th__ shining emperor_

"Well that wasn't so bad!" Said Po.

"I had no idea Oogway had created scrolls about politics! Where do we keep those in the palace?" Asked Crane.

Shifu glanced up from the scroll "This is a surprise for me as well. I have never heard of them. If they were somehow found by the wrong person, we could have a serious problem. Hopefully they were destroyed, or their existence is just a rumor."

Po had ceased to pay attention, and had jumped back to the table.

He had gotten a box.

From the freaking emperor of China.

And it was bigger than Shifu's!

Without any further delay he punched the big golden button on the front and leaned over the box. Po picked it up and unceremoniously dumped out the contents ; a perfect replica of the combat robe on his fan posters! It was funny how that had happened in the first place, as he could never have afforded such a nice robe. The emperor, it appeared, was a fan. It was a glorious golden robe with a jet black trim and belt. The robe didn't shine so much as it glowed, especially when it moved around. On the inside of the robe was a painstakingly stiched jade dragon, wrapped around the words 'Po Ping.'

In one of the inside pockets was a small note.

_In the murky waters of Gongmen Bay, when all hope seemed lost, you stood firm and defiant. You put Kung-Fu, China, and your life on the line. At that moment you became a symbol of hope and righteous strength. You more than any army or banner can give my people security, faith in their nation, faith in themselves. You'll find the silk of this robe stronger than steel. Let it remind you – I've got your back (literally). _

Quick as a flash, Po donned his new outfit, brimming with excitement. "NOOOOO WAaaaayyyy…. Imperial silk!" The fabled silk of the Imperial city was incredibly tough, and even more incredibly expensive. It was only used for the most elite ceremonial armors. The secrets to its production were closely guarded.

Everyone complimented Po on the new outfit. He struck one of his poster's poses, getting a bit full of himself. Could anyone really blame him?

_Two weeks later…./_

_/_

Po huffed and puffed as he ran down the mountainside, careful not to spill any of the snow from the buckets he carried. It had been a long climb to find snow at this time of year. Tigress had not been kidding when she had said she would help him get "hard-core." In the two weeks since the Imperial messenger had arrived she had been getting him to do all sorts of insane and excruciating routines. Not that Po really minded. In fact when he got over the initial discomforts he actually enjoyed it.

Not only that- but he was getting results. He could do his morning runs in half the time, and he had to shorten the tie strings on his pants. Po had kept it a secret from the others, but there was more behind his new routines than he had mentioned.

Suddenly Crane swooped down besides the running Panda. "Hey Po! Monkey and I were going to head down to your dad's place for lunch. Want to come? I could fly you down!"

Oooohh boy was that a tempting offer for a dieting Panda. He wouldn't even have to walk, and not even he could make noodles like his Dad. Just the thought of fresh noodles got his stomach rumbling again. Po shook away such thoughts. He was doing this so Crane wouldn't have to fly him around in the first place!

"Sorry man! A little busy right now!"

Crane was shocked "Oh… okay see you later then." He changed direction and flew off. "Darn!" he muttered to himself. "I was sure that would work!"

Crane admitted he missed the lazy and gluttonous side of Po. Now Po seemed to train even more than he did! In fact Po trained almost as much as….. Tigress….. where was she by the way?

Now that Crane thought about it, Po had been going off alone to train more and more, and usually when Tigress was also absent. A little idea wormed its way into his head, and he turned around. He gained altitude, hoping he appeared small enough from the ground to escape notice. Crane had honed his vision to the point that he could clearly make out Po's figure far below him. He soon, however, lost Po in a thick stand of trees. Throwing the idea out of mind, he turned back around and headed to the noodle shop in the Valley.

Po entered the shaded grove of ironwood and clover just outside the palace. He came here when he wished to put in extra training time. Tigress often stopped by – always unannounced.

Po slowed to a walk, pretending to be exhausted. He knew she was out there somewhere. She had told him to get the snow in the first place. He set down the buckets, then heard a small noise and suddenly whipped around. "AH HA!" he shouted, but no one was there. He looked all around, listening carefully. She wasn't going to surprise him so easily this time.

Tigress crouched on a branch far above, barely able to keep from laughing aloud. She had dropped a twig. True, he was getting better, but she highly doubted he would catch her in the near future. She was a cat. A Tiger. She was stealth incarnate.

Without so much as a hint of a noise she positioned herself directly above Po, preparing to leap. Her tail thrashed back and forth. This was going to be good!

Po began to panic a bit. He KNEW Tigress was here. This was just the time when she would pull a fast one. He whipped his head to and fro, looking every direction, listening attentively. Last time he had broke into a run, and that didn't work out so well. He had made too much noise to hear her coming and been tripped before he knew it. So this time he just began to walk… ever so slowly. He had begun to lose hope. He had never, _ever _heard her coming. What difference would it make now? How had Oogway heard a butterfly's wingbeat? Turtles don't even have ears! Or at least outside their heads.

Suddenly he had a revelation; he would use a different kind of hearing. When one could tap into the flow of the universe enough to deflect cannonballs, how hard could it be to hear a Tiger coming?

Po stopped walking, finding his center of focus, sifting through the energies around him. He could feel the trees, the air, everything within about thirty feet. It was a sort of ultimate sixth sense. His heartbeat was the loudest noise of all.

Tigress was watching him – that much was now sure. He could feel her gaze, even if her location was not yet revealed. He felt the slightest shift in the energy around him… wait… not around him…. ABOVE HIM! He leapt out of the way just as Tigress came flying down, sending duff and clover everywhere.

Tigress looked at her empty paws and gasped "WHAT! HOW!"

Po pointed his finger at her. "HA! Thought you could sneak up on the Dragon warrior did you?" He declared triumphantly.

"There was no noise! That was flawless! How did you catch on?" She growled at him. This could not be happening. Sneaking up on Po was the most wonderful thing in the world, and she would never get to do it again!

Po told her about his discovery.

"Well Fantastic! You have managed to nullify a lifetime of practice in a matter of weeks. Why are these things so easy for you?" Tigress was pretty agitated.

"I've got a pretty good teacher y'nnow. " Po replied.

Tigress was always a sucker for his fanboyish flattery. Her mood lifted a little, if only just. "I'm glad I could help." Tigress had a strange feeling that she was learning just as much as he was whenever they did these things.

"Now go get those buckets of snow. We have work to do."

Tigress sat cross-legged on the ground as Po fetched the snow.  
"Why did you want me to get these again?" Po asked.

"I've got a pretty good lesson lined up for today – pain tolerance."

Po groaned. This couldn't be good.

"What happened to you wanting to take things seriously?" Tigress asked in an annoyed tone.

Po quickly replied "Nothing! I'm game no worries!"

He set down the buckets and sat down beside Tigress.

"Now put your hand in the snow." Tigress said calmly, as she did so herself.

"Comfortable?"

"Pretty cold actually" Po replied in a matter of fact way.

"Excellent. Tell me Po, what is pain?"

"Something that happens when you get hurt?"  
"Wrong. Pain is just a feeling, a sensation that potentially indicates hurt. Pain doesn't even have to be bad. In fact, it can even be good. Pain can mean anything you want it to. " Tigress could see that Po couldn't quite follow.

She continued " Take training, or exercise for example. Soreness, or many other pains can indicate a good workout. That pain, then, is a good thing. With practice and a strong will, such pains can actually become pleasure."

Po's hand was beginning to sting from the cold.

"Focus on the pain coming from your hand right now. What does it mean? What is your gut reaction?"

Po thought for a bit, then said "My hand is cold and I should take it out of the bucket?"

"The meaning of the pain is all that is important. With practice your body's reaction will become nothing, and pain will not control you. This lesson should perhaps be called pain acceptance, not tolerance. If you choose the path of tolerance than you can still be overcome. If you make this a battle there is the possibility that you could lose. Do not fight the pain. Accept it in its entirety and attach whatever meaning you wish to it."

Po kept his hand in the bucket. He was pretty good at the whole pain tolerance thing already, having been beat up by the furious five and Shifu after he first became Dragon Warrior. All it took was the right motivation. On this occasion that motivation was not to appear like a baby in front of Tigress. That whole "Pain acceptance thing" was a little deep for him.

Tigress smiled- she knew exactly what was going on. " Time for the next level. "

She pulled out another bucket from behind a bush. This one was full of Stinging nettle leaves- the Himalayan variety.

Po jumped away "You've got to be kidding me!"

Tigress chuckled dryly – "Sorry Po."

"You do it first!"

"Fine. This is actually easier than you think. It's a perfect example of good pain. Nettle stings are good for the joints, and the leaves are delicious." Without a moment of hesitation Tigress shoved her paw to the bottom of the bucket, swishing the leaves all around it and smashing them. Po's jaw dropped… Tigress was fine. She was even smiling.

"That's cool." Was all he could say

"It is 'cool' isn't it? The stings soon disappear if you spit on them, so there's nothing to worry about. Your turn." She grinned and held out the bucket as if she was offering candy to a child.

Po delicately brushed a finger against one of the leaves. 'Yowch!" It was like a jolt of lightning had traveled up his arm!

"Focus!" Tigress said. Po took a deep breath, collecting himself.

"What? The Dragon warrior, savior of China, can't bear to be stung by a wee little plant?"

That got him. He jammed his paw into the bucket, and his face twisted in a terrible grimace. He barely suppressed a shout and his other paw curled into a tight fist. This was almost as bad as the first time he went through the training hall!

"Don't fight. Accept. Isn't it nice what the Nettle is doing for your aching joints?" Tigress reminded him.

Yeah… it was kind of nice. Slowly but surely he relaxed. Of course the pain was still there; that just meant his nerves were working, and oh man was it intense. It felt like ten thousand tiny needles dipped in acid had skewered his hand. Actually, that was pretty much what was happening. Involuntary twitches went up his entire arm. It was just that it no longer meant something bad to him. The pain was now good. He moved his hand around, getting stung on every square inch of his paw.

"Well done. With practice any physical pain can be overcome with this technique." Tigress said coolly.

"This is AWESOME!" Po exclaimed as he stuck his other paw in the bucket.

"It gets even better!" Tigress claimed, just before popping one of the leaves in her mouth.

Before long the bucket was empty. They both lay on the clover, content.

Po burped loudly. He then remembered this was Tigress, not Monkey. Just as he was about to apologize Tigress let out a bigger one. It was too much. He burst out laughing. The Master of Tiger style, leader of the furious five, having a burping contest with him?

"I never would have guessed you had it in you." Po said.

Tigress put on a fake serious face and said "Don't be ridiculous. Holding in gas disrupts one's chi!"

Po face-palmed and this time they both burst out laughing.

Their eyes met - cool jade on fiery orange. Tigress smiled warmly, Po was grinning like an idiot.

Po loved it when she smiled. At first she only had done it when something truly special happened. Those smiles had been like a sort of rare desert bloom. They didn't happen often, but when they did they were the most wonderful. Now she did it more, but it was still precious to him. Her happiness was his happiness. "Look at her!" Po thought. "Gorgeous, yet deadly. Kind, yet cold. My hero, yet willing to hang out with me!"

Tigress loved it when Po smiled. He did it all the time, and when he was happy it always rubbed off on her. How had she ever existed without him? She couldn't believe she had tried to get rid of him at first. She felt an urge to jump into his arms like she did in Gongmen Jail. That time she had just done it for him, and to prove a point. This time she just wanted… comfort? She looked into the depths of his gem-like eyes, suddenly feeling something she never had known before. Before she could put a finger on it Po ripped away from her gaze, obviously a little perturbed.

"How could I be such an idiot!" He thought. "Staring at her like that!" Did he have a death wish or something? Yeah, he had always been smitten by her, since as long as he could remember. But now they were the best of friends, and he would _never _do anything to risk that. He may be the Dragon Warrior, but he was still a chubby Panda. They weren't even the same species, and she was so out of his league it wasn't even funny. Actually, if any of the five found out they would probably laugh their asses off. Past that, Tigress was a dedicated Kung-Fu master – not usually the type to even want romantic relationships. She would never respect him the same way again… of course she would reject him. She was a good person, so maybe she'd forgive and understand, but training would suddenly become unbearably awkward. Shifu would probably kick him in the Tenders! That was NOT going to happen. Tigress was too precious as a friend to risk. He was content to die with his secret. He quickly came up with something to change the awkward mood.

"So, ..um…. we should probably get back to the Palace for evening training huh? Shifu had s-something planned." Po stuttered a bit.

Tigress snapped out of her chain of thought. "Right, we should get going." They ran off together towards the Palace.

As the entered via the main gate they passed in front of Monkey and Crane, obviously returning for lunch. "Hey Monkey! Crane!" Po shouted as he walked by. Tigress gave a nod of her head.

Crane had been talking about his hunches over lunch, and Monkey began to get curious as well. When Po and Tigress were a bit out of earshot he said "You don't think that they're…." he paused and made eye contact with Crane and they both burst out laughing. Po and Tigress together? That had to be the greatest joke Monkey had ever made!

The furious five and Po assembled in the main courtyard before Shifu, who had been waiting. Without a word, he walked over to a tree in the courtyard, pulled out his flute, and began to play. Everyone knew what this meant: it was time for a test. The five and Po quickly began to hatch a plan. No one had ever landed a blow on Shifu. He was just too darn quick.

"It'll work! We can do this!" Po argued.

Mantis shook his head "don't get too confident buddy. Those big old ears will hear it coming a mile away."

"Well of course it won't work with that attitude." Viper scolded.

"He'll never guess! It'll be a complete surprise!" Po said. Everyone began to get into position.

Shifu began another melody. They sure were taking a while… Suddenly Shifu heard Po's voice nearby, a small whisper. "C'mon it'll work… just hide on my back!" Po still didn't know the extent of his hearing, it seemed. The whole "stealth mode thing" wasn't his strong point. His trick with Mantis was an old one. Shifu couldn't help but be a little disappointed. The rest of the five were taking positions all around, no doubt. They were getting good… it was hard to hear anything in particular.

Three of the five and Po sprung out in front of him. Shifu guessed where Mantis was… but where was Crane? He heard the faintest sound of moving air far above him. His eyes widened with the realization: A trick within a trick! He swatted the falling Mantis away with his flute.

"Darn! I thought that would work!" thought Po. He had gotten the idea from Tigress's attempt at surprise earlier.

Everyone jumped into the fray, hoping that Shifu was off-guard. He wasn't, of course. Shifu was a blur. Crane, Monkey, and Viper began to lose hope. They weren't even close. All of them were struck away with the flute, but Po and Tigress refused to give up.

They got on either side of Shifu and struck with a series of perfectly-timed moves. Shifu actually had to keep on his toes. "Interesting." He thought.

Tigress had added trickery and indirectness to her normally ferocious and offensive style. She now could function more on the defensive, attempting to use Shifu's moves against him. It was almost… Po like. "That was weird." Shifu thought.

The rest of the five noticed this as well as they watched from the sidelines.

Po, on the flipside, was now balancing his deceit and dragon style with powerful offensive moves. It made him unpredictable. Shifu barely avoided one of his punches, twisting in midair as he swung his flute at Tigress. She had expected this and deflected his strike, sending him off balance.

"What is going on here?" Shifu thought. For the first time he was actually beginning to tire out. They had improved astronomically in the space of just a couple weeks! Tigress made a grab for Shifu's tail. That was a little low for her!

Po made a quick kick, barely missing him. He leaned back simultaneously avoiding Shifu's flute. How had he gotten that fast? Tigress and Po were complementing each other's styles perfectly.

He couldn't remember another fight like this. Tai Lung had been an exception: he couldn't focus. Suddenly Tigress's open palms connected, sending him flying into Po's stomach. He was bounced off and he landed on his feet twenty yards away.

Crane's beak creaked wide open, for like the twentieth time. Everyone gasped in shock. Shifu pointed his flute at them in a sort of questioning manner, with an expression that said "How on Earth did you do that?" His mouth flapped open, then closed again as he tried to think of what to say. Everyone's eyes were on him.  
He collected himself a bit, and lowered the flute slowly. "I knew this would happen eventually." Shifu gave a small, sad smile, if there is such a thing.

He was like a parent whose children had suddenly grown up and moved away. "Only I couldn't have imagined it would be so soon. Master Po! Master Tigress! Well done!"

Po and Tigress bowed long and low, with one hand clasped inside a fist.

"Just know that a day may come…. when I have nothing left to teach you."

Shifu bowed in return, then began to slowly walk away.

Tigress looked at Po with wide eyes. Po stepped forward. "Well when that day comes… we'll still be here!"

Shifu chuckled. "And still cooking dinner, I hope!" he added as he began to climb the stairs to the Hall of Heroes.

No one could see it, but the smallest of tears rolled down Shifu's cheek.

Dinner was awesome as usual, if oddly quiet. If they hadn't before, everyone had their suspicions about Po and Tigress now. It was pretty obvious they had taken to training together again, what with the shift in styles. They were inseparable. Viper, always the social animal, was convinced they were secretly dating. She dared not bring it up in the open, however. Tigress would end her, it was as simple as that. It really wasn't her business anyway. Everyone else was not totally convinced on the whole relationship part. They were just confused at how the two of them could be so close. They were like complete opposites!

Shifu threw that idea out the window entirely. He knew Tigress. There could be no way Tigress would be interested in romantics, much less with a goofball like Po. Po was just her best friend, and of course a fan.

Shifu, as always, figured it was all about Kung-Fu. They did have complementary styles, and they were his best students. Po had been inspired to take things more seriously, and Tigress had caught on to his style too. That is all. It made sense in many ways to Shifu. "Let them have their little training sessions together." He thought. "Whatever they're doing, it's working."

Shifu still hadn't found the mettle to apologize to Tigress. He had vowed to do it over two weeks ago and so far hadn't even tried. It seemed he was a coward after all. "Not tonight, it has been a big day. Perhaps tomorrow." He thought. Then he caught himself. "NO! Tonight! Or it will be next week, next month, next year! I can't take this to the grave! There is no tomorrow!" He mentally berated himself. The conflict inside of him threatened to erupt onto the table. When the words came out of his mouth it felt as if someone else had spoken. "Tigress, would you join me on the North lawns for tea after dinner?" Well at least he was trapped now. No turning back.

Tigress hesitated before responding. Tea? She hadn't had tea with him (or at least alone with him) in over a decade. "Yes Master."

Shifu set down the tea tray in a nice spot overlooking the Valley. The low glow of cooking fires and lamps could be seen through the windows of the houses. It was the same place where Po had tried to run off when he found out Tai Lung was coming.

It didn't take long for Tigress to show up. She had a long, graceful stride. Her eyes glowed orange in the night. She wore her flowing black and scarlet robes. Tigress: his pride and joy! She was the living proof that he could raise more than a Tai Lung - that he had something good in him. He had poured everything he was into her save his love. Sure, he had taught her, spent time with her, and even occasionally played with her. He wasn't that bad. He just had never allowed himself to develop an emotional connection with her. She was brilliant, deadly, dedicated, strong, and yes, even kind. She was also twenty-seven.

This would have been so much easier a couple decades ago! What kind of idiot distances himself from his greatest creation? As every year passed he had just made it harder on himself. "Twenty-seven is not the age to connect with a father figure." Shifu thought. He recalled a bitter memory from long ago:

"_I did it! Baba I did the whirlwind kick!" Little Tigress was jumping with joy. She had been at the palace for a couple months, and was learning fast. She finally had a place to call home, aside from that horrible orphanage. For once everything would work out, she just knew it. She ran to hug Shifu, but he stopped her with the end of his cane. "Well done, Tigress." He forced a little smile. " But remember our little talk. You are to refer to me as 'Master' Shifu. These things are important. I'm sure you'll understand one day. Now onto the next lesson. Perhaps later we could play a game of checkers or something." _

_Little Tigress's eyes had tears in them. "Yes Master Shifu."_

Shifu's eyes then met those of the present Tigress, who was easily twice his height with a composure as sure as steel. This Tigress was destined to be the greatest Kung- Fu warrior in all of China. These eyes had none of the warmth that the little Tigress had radiated. These eyes weren't those he saw when she was around Po. They were like…. no they **were** ice. They were focused, intense, disciplined. He had killed that adorable little Tigress long ago, hadn't he?

Shifu poured two cups of chamomile tea. It was too late for ginseng. "Honey?" He asked. "No, thank you." replied Tigress.

They sipped at their tea for a while. It really was a nice, quiet night. A warm wind rolled over, like a soft blanket. Shifu, by contrast, had a war of wills going on in his head.

"Tigress has moved on with her life" one side thought. "It would be silly of you to bring this up now."

"You're being ridiculous!" Shouted another side of him. "You made a vow!"

The other side came back in force.

"You will look stupid, and will remind her of a past she got over long ago. She's more than fine! Don't you trouble over it."

The good side argued "You will never be able to live with yourself."

To this the other side had yet another rebuttal, and they bickered on an on. Suddenly Shifu had a thought: what would Oogway say?

He knew exactly what Oogway would say. He could picture the old turtle, with his kind and knowing smile. "_You_ this. _You_ that. Isn't it obvious? This isn't about _you_ at all." Shifu could almost hear his little laugh echo in the chambers of his mind. Sometimes it was like he had never left.

The tea was nearly gone.

He had practiced at least a dozen different apologies. Some of them were lengthy, formal. Others were open-hearted, honest. Most of them aimed at saving some scrap of his pride. Forget that. Damn it to hell! He dropped the teacup and it shattered on the tray. He clawed at his face.

"Master! What's wrong?" Tigress exclaimed.

Here he went. There was no plan, no speech, he just opened his mouth and let it come out.

"I'M WRONG!" He shouted hoarsely, gesturing at himself. "I'VE BEEN WRONG FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS!" He took a long ragged breath. "AND SICK! AND TWISTED! AND CRUEL! Since the day I adopted you! Brought you to the palace! You needed a father and all I could be was a cold, heartless, monster! MONSTER!" He said that word with an acid tone, gritting his teeth.

"If anyone could better know the meaning of that word! You were anything but, the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me." He pointed at her.

"That day you became master! That was the greatest moment of my life and I couldn't even say it! I could never bring myself to tell you how proud I was. How proud I AM! How I've longed to call you daughter, not Master Tigress! How I've prayed that you would call me Baba again! How I wish I could undo the past! But it cannot be. I'm twenty years too late! I was only thinking of myself, how I could never feel again, how I could never make the same mistakes that I did with Tai. I'm an old fool!"

He stopped for a moment, daring to meet her eyes.

"I am beyond forgiveness, but know that I'm so sorry… sorry for everything." He put his hands over his eyes in shame and broke down into racking sobs.

He thought of how pathetic he must have seemed. He had for decades presented himself as a reserved figure, someone in complete control of their thoughts and emotions. Many descriptions fluttered through his head. Fake! Sham! Charade! Fraud! Even Hypocrite?

A pair of big orange and black arms wrapped around his back. It couldn't be!

Here was a hug he wouldn't sneak out of.

"How? After the way I treated you…" Shifu whispered.

"But no more." Tigress said, choking on her own tears. "As Po told me: the past doesn't make you who you are. You are who you choose to be. I choose to be your daughter, and that is all that matters now."

Shifu returned the embrace. The terrible pain, the guilt, was finally gone. He hadn't felt this way for thirty years.

The sound of laughter reached his ears…. or was it just the wind? No. That wizened old turtle was out there somewhere.

**Must… Not… Cry… Can't… Cry…**

**Must… Not …*Bawls and gets out hankie. **

**Seriously the Shifu/Tigress drama in KFP makes me cry little manly tears like no other story. **

**I totally ripped the "fighting without fighting" part from Bruce Lee. **

**The "There is no tomorrow!" is totally out of Rocky too. No shame on that. **

**Anyway thanks for reading, and leave a damn review. **

**What do you think of my version of Oogway's past? Should I have sent Po away to the Imperial City? Is Tigress a total badass or what? There's a lot of different storylines that could have come out of the emperor's boxes. I feel like I missed an opportunity to start an epic quest like I initially plotted out. Epic quest to find the lost scrolls within the Palace? … or if the motivation to write that dies down shorten the story and just make the conflict Ti/Po romance? Seems to be the easy way to go. **

**I am heading out into the Mountains in a few days, and once again won't have internet for a while. BUT… I will take a notebook and pen (no laptop), so there will be a nice update when I get back….. If you leave a review. And try to add something thoughtful in there, not just a "Good Job" or "WRITE MORE." **

*****Part of the story of the Pool of Sacred Tears is in a clip on Youtube. It's a narration with illustrations and stuff. The title is something like "the legends of the legendary warrior." **


	3. Tomorrow night

A/N:

I will post the next chapter (another nice and long one) tomorrow night! Sorry about the wait… I seriously had no internet. I just wanted to spend as much time backpacking/hiking this summer as possible to make up for the humdrum of this coming semester. Oogway was seriously onto something with that whole nature thing…

In this orchard I was restoring the bears had damaged many of the trees. Back in spring I found this little sucker sprout off a broken trunk beneath some blackberries. I saw the pretty pink/white flowers and thought "WOW I sure hope it's an apricot!" Then I returned to the homestead last week and saw a single peach hanging off the sprout. I couldn't help but think "You may want an apple, or an orange, but it will be a peach tree." And then I thought "But a peach tree cannot make good cider!" Yeah I'm lame like that. I did the whole nurturing thing. I totally chased off the bears every night in hopes the other buds would fruit too.

Anyway now I'm just transferring stuff from my notebook to word. To all those followers/favorites (17? I guess not many) and all those anxious viewers (1000+ hits?) thanks for your patience. It's pretty neat knowing that even Icelanders have read my KFP. I'll take a little time to respond to some messages/responses.

1. A couple reviews/questions were asked along the lines of **"Would they really do that in ancient China?"** These were geared towards marriages/dating/culture/language.

Few people really understand how diverse ancient China was, and how diverse it still is (Even with urbanization, globalization, and an oppressive government.) Lumping together ancient China is almost as bad as lumping together ancient Europe. There were both egalitarian communities, and male-dominated communities. There were all sorts of different marriage arrangements, or even places without marriage. There were dozens of different dialects and variations in languages (So much so that they had to create a unifying common language) Even during times when China was unified it wasn't necessarily _culturally uniform. _ So yeah, they did all sorts of stuff in ancient China. Besides, KFP is loosely based on Kung-Fu/Chinese and has cute animal critters as characters. I think we can let the whole culturally/historically accurate thing slide.

2. **"What on earth do they eat in KFP?" **

Good question. Because the characters are based on animals (even bugs) everything is cut to a veggie diet. Although I guess the more savage animals still can eat others (Like that wolf that wanted cooked rice in KFP 2)

This is much the same problem as in Pokemon, where all anyone can eat is Magicarp and rice. Poor buggers!

This also makes it hard to paint good nature scenes. I mean seriously, can you imagine a forest without birdsong? Or a starry night without fireflies? Lame.

3. **"Well now it's a Ti/Po romance. Would the characters really do that?"**

I did deviate from the epic quest I had initially plotted out. That's probably pretty obvious from the change in momentum from Ch. 1. It was too typical of KFP fanfics and would have made too long a story. The next big KFP adventure I leave to Dreamworks. (I hope it's not just about Po's long-lost dad) This is just filler.

The romance is all a matter of opinion. I give it a 20/80 chance that Dreamworks actually puts them together. As evidenced in their other movies they really like weird couples. A part of me hopes they avoid the romance aspect entirely, as a change of pace. They have been doing waaay to much development to not though. A bigger part, however, sees this as their biggest opportunity ever. I'll say it here and now: the story, character development, and potential romance puts Disney to shame. BOOM!

So yeah, I'm gonna make this a Ti/Po, and yeah, I may have messed up some characters (Viper the social animal?) but they're complex and that's what fanfic's about. Enjoy.


	4. Chapter 3: The Late Bloom

**A/N: Darn. This took a bit longer to type up than I thought. But where I'm at it's still Sunday night so my promise holds true.**

Chapter 3: The Last Bloom

A typical week passed at the Jade Palace. There was the usual training, the usual routine, although the word "father" was now heard on occasion. Nothing particularly extraordinary, or really story-worthy occurred; although by most standards even the dullest of days at the Palace were extraordinary. The end of May had come, and it brought with it a glorious spring flowering. The orchards, fields, and streets of the Valley were vibrant and aflame with every kind of flower. The flowerpots in windows and the vines on the buildings gave the town a living decoration. Most prominent were the delicate whites of the apple and pear treas. These groves, surrounded as they were by the blue waterways of the Valley, resembled fields of fluffy clouds.

The plums were a deep attractive purple along the streets, and the aroma was intoxicating. The residents of the Valley of peace didn't take any of this for granted, and were in no hurry to get things done. The little bunny children snuck into the groves to climb the trees, and played tag in the grass.

Even the high Alpine meadows west of the palace were now awake. Fields recently liberated from the snow became a rainbow of lush vegetation. Everything, and everyone it seemed, was blooming on this day. Almost everything. Near a cliff on a grassy rise a lone peach tree stubbornly withheld.

The palace arborist and his apprentice stood underneath the trees gnarled trunk. "It's like it's waiting for something." Said the younger of the rabbits.

The wizened old arborist stroked his beard, slowly shook his head, then said " Even the best of things must end. A thousand years is a long time, even for a tree. Learn to recognize the signs of decay."

/*/*/*/*/.

Po trudged up the final steps to the palace, one of the few gloomy things in the Valley of Peace. He had just returned from the new Kung-Fu exhibit in town. He had, of course, tricked Tigress and Mantis into sneaking in early to beat the lines. **(From Secrets of the Masters) ** At least this was on a day off, so he hadn't had to worry about the morning gong. Shifu had still caught him, and to make things worse he had trapped himself in the sarcophagus of Su Wu.

An excited visitor had been the first to let him out, and he pretended it was on purpose. The hole in the ceiling was harder to explain. The villagers just laughed it off… they had become familiar with Po's antics. That was their good old Dragon warrior! Shifu, however, had been too angry for words.

Po continued through the courtyard and towards the dorms. Now he couldn't see the Masters exhibit at all! And this was when the hype was at its peak, right after Gongmen. At least he had gotten Master Croc and Ox's autographs back at Gongmen. His old Master's council poster now occupied a special spot underneath the one of him and the Furious Five. Po fondly remembered the day he got that poster, a week or so after defeating Tai Lung. The Furious Five had then understood he really was the Dragon warrior, and their disgusted attitude quickly changed to one that was apologetic. Four of the Five apologized on the first night – Tigress of course took a few weeks. When Crane asked how he could make "amends" (he was often formal like that) Po whipped out the poster he had bought and asked for an autograph. It was the same thing with all of the five. Now that even the action figures were out in the open, Po figured he might as well just have the poster framed.

Po passed by Crane on his way to the dorms. Crane was practicing his aero-kinetics moves outside the barracks. He was directing a swarm of paper kites, planes, and objects in the air. It wasn't quite juggling. From the way everything responded to his graceful sweeps it was as if he was conducting an orchestra, but way cooler. Po couldn't help but start watching. "Awesome….."

Crane diverted his attention for a bit, letting some of the objects fall. "Hey Po!"

"Sweet moves Crane!"

Crane diverted a paper plane from the maelstrom, and sent it whizzing into Po's ear. "OW! What's the big idea?"

Crane gave a small smile " I heard about what happened down at the gallery."

"Geez Already? Man I really messed up this time." Po said as he plucked the plane out of his ear.

"And you had been doing so well the last few weeks!" Added Crane as he playfully shot a couple more objects at Po. Sure, Crane was often very reserved, or pensive, or even shy, but he had his antics like everyone else. He was sort of an older brother to Po.

Po spoke as he ducked and dodged. "And then I had to go and do this! I was totally on a roll. I was just to excited to think! It won't happen again. Now take it easy will yah?"

Crane ceased his assault. He saw an opportunity to change the subject.

"Hmm… maybe you won't. Tigress must have been rubbing off on you or something."

Po made an attempt at surprise. "And What's that supposed to mean?"

Crane laughed. "Oh please… You two have totally been going off to train alone."

He send the objects in the air whirling into a tornado.

"In fact, Viper thinks you two are a couple."

Po thought fast _I can't let him see through me! _Po had been ill prepared for this eventuality. He made every attempt to hide his reaction, laughing and slapping his knee in mirth. It was actually pretty convincing, but Crane had a sharp eye and was really good at reading people. He knew Po pretty well. There was the slight hesitation, the twinge of fear. There was no denying it: Po was hiding something. This had been totally unexpected. 

"_How is this possible?" Crane thought. _

Po wrapped up his act. "Oh man! I didn't know Viper had it in her! She's an even better joker than Monkey! Peh! Tigress and Me… she's gonna get clawed if she doesn't watch her mouth."

Crane stared at the Panda, letting all the paper planes fall save for two. One was red, and another black. "You've gotten a lot better at lying, that's for certain." Po's eyes shot up, all humor gone. "Okay, not funny anymore. What on earth would makes you think Tigress and I could even be like that?"

Crane sent the two planes sailing around Po's head. "Well I didn't give it a chance until a few moments ago. Once again, I know you're lying."

Po jabbed with his finger and said "But we're not—"

"Then what are you?" Crane interrupted. He had a way of making people transparent.

Po opened his mouth to say something, then closing it again. _Darn! The bird was good at this! _

He sighed, then said " Okay, Okay, you're half right. I admired her even before I came to the palace. Now that I've gotten to know her I've fallen hopelessly in love. She's like the most awesome person in the history of awesomeness, everything I could ever like, everything I'm not." Crane raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you probably don't understand how anyone could love Tigress like that, I get it. She's complicated, I know. But now she doesn't even hate my guts, in fact we're like best friends, and I can't lose that." Po had a worried expression on his face, and his eyes darted from side to side. "I'd be crushed!"

So yeah, I'm that way about her, I've got it real bad. You caught me! Happy? But she could never want to be more than a friend to me. I get that, I understand. I mean… Don't you see? If she finds out I love her like I do, everything could change. I. Will. Not. Let. That. Happen. So you gotta promise me, and get Viper in on this too, not to mess this up. Please! Buddy, it'll seriously kill me. It really will."

Crane shrunk visibly, a frown replacing his former amused expression. His movements became shaky and unfocused, and the air-show fell apart. The planes landed in a tree nearby. _Poor Po. _

Crane leaned against the tree, wilted. He gazed into the distance.

"Crane?" Po asked worriedly.  
Crane looked back at Po. This was not the shy Crane, the witty Crane, or even the fun Crane. This was Crane as Po had never seen and he didn't like it. Po sat down at the base of the tree beside Crane.

"Let me tell you a story Po, or rather, let me finish one I started to tell you before. It starts back at Lee-Dah, after I was accepted as a student." Po had a hard time imagining a younger, shyer Crane.

"I finally had everything I had ever dreamed of. The day before I had been a janitor; hopeless, poor, alone. Suddenly I was one of the students, a natural. A natural! Sure I was picked on at first, but the other students soon found out how hard these "skinny legs" could kick. In many ways I was like you when Oogway chose the Dragon Warrior…"

Crane looked at Po again.

"I know I already apologized for that but sorry. Again. I mean really, I can't believe I treated you even worse than I had been treated. You can touch those toes now right?" They both laughed as Po stretched to prove it.

Crane resumed : But more important than any of the new things I had was a friend. Meil Ling, let me tell you here and now, was my hero. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her.

She was confident, vibrant, gregarious even… … everything I wasn't! She sort of radiated happiness, and when I was around her I could do anything! We would train and hang out all the time. As the weeks turned to months we were inseparable. Then something awful happened…. I fell in love."

Po gaped "No Way!"

Crane tilted his hat over his eyes. "Yeah way! And don't you dare tell your Kung-Fu class that! I had it as bad as you do for Tigress, if not worse. It was exactly the same. She was the greatest friend I'd ever had, but how could we be anything more? I did my best to hide how I felt, for fear of what I could lose…

I mean _come on! _A crane and a cat!? And Kung-Fu warriors to boot? There are reasons why you never hear of couples like that!"

Crane sighed, then continued.

"There were a few times I thought she felt the same, that I almost bared my soul. But always I held back, not wanting to take a risk, wondering what she could see in me. The months turned to years, and she made every day wonderful. She was my happiness, and her smile could erase any worries. We were like opposites, but in a good way. We learned from each other until we became the best warriors in the province. Shifu caught wind of me. It was time to forge the furious five again."

Suddenly Crane was angry. "That horrible, horrible day! She made me go in the end, told me it was my duty, that she'd write." He looked Po in the eyes. "I was such an idiot for not telling her then and there, for not taking that chance! Of course we write, but what consolation is that?!" Crane spat. Anger didn't suit Crane's generally peaceful nature.

"What was I getting at? Oh yes.. What I'm trying to say is that Kung-Fu masters rarely get any shot at love, or family. Even when we do, our discipline and duty get in the way. But things like discipline and duty are just means to an end, they are not all there is to Kung Fu, or especially life. I think I understand now why Oogway was so pleased when he picked you, why you are so naturally good at Kung-Fu. Oogway was disciplined, and wise, but his compassion always outshone those qualities. Oogway picked you to show us this. So please, Po, please just give yourself a chance, even just a ghost of a chance. Don't make my mistakes."

Po mulled it over in his head for a minute, leaning back against the tree. Crane was deep, no question about that. Po began rubbing his temples. "But Tigress is…. Well…. Tigress."

Crane burst out laughing. "Okay maybe you have it a bit harder than I did. Now that I look back perhaps telling Mei wouldn't have ended up so badly. But Tigress? WOW!"

Now it was Po's turn to laugh "I know right? I can totally see how it would go. She'd put on this disgusted and utterly shocked look before giving me a little lecture on discipline or something. Maybe I'd get clawed! Even in the best case – _and this is really optimistic! – _she'd just tell me she couldn't feel that way because I'm a Panda. I can't even begin to tell you how horribly awkward that would make things! And this isn't even considering Shifu, now that he's suddenly on-board with the whole father thing. Where did that even come from?"

Crane tilted his head. " I've been wondering the same thing. I had never thought of Shifu as a bad person, except in that respect. Maybe he finally realized his mistake, and couldn't stand the guilt of what he had done. Maybe he did it for a variety of reasons, but it definitely isn't coincidence that he did it now. You've changed that grumpy old humbug so much… it's really uncanny. But don't try to change the subject Po."

_Darn_ thought Po. "Crane, there is just no way she could feel that way for me. C'mon! Let's be serious here. I'm a Panda. A Panda! Before the whole Dragon warrior thing the opposite sex wouldn't even look at me!"

Crane whispered "There is so a way! Listen, she would kill me if she knew I said this, but she totally broke down that night in the factory."

Po waved his hand, dismissing the idea entirely. "Plllleeeeaase! You're making that up. I mean yeah I could tell she had been really upset, but she was totally fine after I rescued you guys. Tigress would never break like that. You were there!" Po did a ridiculous impression of Tigress's rigid banter "**Impressive** Dragon Warrior!"

Crane slapped Po on the back of his head, hard. "NO ONE WAS FINE YOU IDIOT!"

Po looked up, shocked. Once again, he was not used to an angry Crane.

"Focus on that word : Rescued! You rescued us! The Furious Five! Why do you think we needed rescuing? When you got blasted into the bay we were crushed! And Tigress was the worst! She lost her will to fight. She _CRIED _Po! The unbreakable Tigress cried! It was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen!"

Crane calmed down a bit, regaining his composure. "I've known, or _thought_ I've known, Tigress for over a decade, and she had never shown such vulnerability. And hugging? Laughing? You've changed her Po, and she's changed you too. I used to think that she was emotionally crippled, that she was stone-souled, but that's not true. She's just a good actor Po, and an even better liar."

Po was aghast.

"Take as long as you want to tell Tigress how you feel. Just remember that a day may come when you'll never have that chance again. It'll haunt you forever, trust me on that one."

Po spoke softly "I'll think about it… but in the meantime you won't tell anybody? I don't think anyone else suspects like Viper."

Crane raised a wing, as if swearing an oath "I promise."

Po breathed a sigh of relief. "You're the best Crane!"

"Weren't you going somewhere?"

Po jumped up "Yeah! To get a snack, but now I'm late for Shifu! He probably has something nasty for me to do. I gotta go!" Po took off running towards the Hall of Heroes.

"Later!" Crane yelled after him. He observed the Panda's progress up the mountain "_Heh, he can actually move pretty fast now."_

Crane flew up and plucked one of the planes out of the tree, looking at it intently. Suddenly he sent it flying to the east. He spread his wings and sent a furious roaring wind behind it. Away the plane flew, going and going until it went out of sight over a rise. It went towards the sea, towards the misty docks of Lee-Dah. Far, far away to a place he had once called home.

"_Mei…" _

/*/*/*/* (Trying to figure out how to space out in story editor)

"Well it's about time!" Shifu snapped. He was pretty angry. Po almost expected him to say "PANDA!" like he used to. In the first weeks at the palace "Panda" had been everyone's epithet for Po.

Shifu had worked on his anger a bit since then, but he was still prone to those rare occasions when Po did something especially bad. "Master Shifu, I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose! I don't know what I was thinking."

Shifu jabbed Po in the stomach with Oogway's staff. "I doubt you were thinking at all!" He snapped again. "And you were on such a good streak too!"

The curators at the palace had had over a month of respite from Po's destructive curiosity. Shifu shook his head. "And here I was, about to let you help set up the gallery."

Po facepalmed "Awwww curse it!" The thought of getting to touch all that cool Kung Fu stuff!

"Well nevermind that." Said Shifu "There's something else you can help with." Shifu gestured to the wall full of scroll cubbies behind him.

"I need you to search the indexes, or even the whole library, for anything concerning political matters. I've already tried, as well as the palace librarians. Maybe this could use your… unorthodox approaches. I'll come back at lunch, then at sunset if you haven't found something."

"_Darn!" _Po thought. _"I told dad I'd help him out this afternoon." _

"Uh.. Master…"

"Yes Po?"

Po mustered the most polite tone he could. "I told my dad I'd help him out at the shop today. I know I don't deserve it, but could I do this…. Later?"

"You should have thought of that before you dropped in on the Master's exhibit." Replied Shifu without a hint of sympathy.

Po looked up at the wall of scrolls and let out a groan.

Shifu started to walk off "But… if you should find something interesting I'll _consider_ letting you off early."

Full of hope, Po looked back at the wall. Thousands and thousands of scrolls! If Po had to lay them all out, they would probably go up and down the palace stairs two dozen times! Of course there were really only a thousand true scrolls of Kung-Fu, but then there were the amendments, histories, guides, recipes, maps, and such. "Mountains! Mountains and mountains of parchment!" Po whispered to himself. This was so not his thing! How could he find anything if Shifu couldn't?

Where would he start? The directory? Po found the huge directory, an ancient tome, at the bottom of the shelf.

"Politics….. Politics… no….no…." He thumbed through page after page, rolled out scroll after scroll. After about an hour he hadn't found dip. "Peh, Farming and Politics? Man Oogway I never would have thought!"

Po began to realize that he needed a new gameplan. Oogway was a riddler… and he could never make things very straightforward. "Bingo!" Po exclaimed. "I just have to think like a cryptic old turtle!"

Po went over a list of new ideas. Would Oogway even put the scrolls in the Jade Place? If the farming stuff was an almanac, why would the politics junk be in the Jade Palace? Wouldn't they be in ….

Suddenly Po's thoughts were interrupted. The ringing of a faraway bell came through the Palace doors, repeating and urgent. It was the alarm bell for the north edge of the Valley! Perfect timing! This lame chore could wait! Po threw down the scroll he'd been holding. No thugs had shown their ugly faces for weeks and he was itching for some action.

In seconds Po had put on his fancy new robe and was at the top of the main staircase. He was getting quick, but he still took Crane's offer to fly him to the scene. He grabbed Crane's legs and they took off. Po always thanked him profusely. The first times Crane had carried him he had been quite a burden! Crane just laughed and said it was good exercise. Good ol' Crane! Po was still a bit chubby, being a Panda, but they could move really fast now! Crane tilted his wings and they began to descend the mountain.

Po turned his head around and could see Tigress bolt out of the training hall. With almost supernatural speed and grace she sprung off a cliff and hurtled after them. Crane leveled off and Tigress slid off a roof top. She used the momentum to fling herself forward, then started sprinting from rooftop to rooftop. "How do you guys keep doing that!? It's just insane!" Crane laughed as he imagined what a Panda moving that fast would look like. "You'll be there someday Po, just wait."

Monkey, Mantis, and Viper were no-where in sight. Perhaps they were on the other side of the Valley. Hopefully they wouldn't take long.

Crane and Po tore through the sky. Po always wondered why thugs bothered trying to mess with the Valley of Peace. They almost never got away, and the furious five were known far and wide. Maybe thieves and bandits, because they lived on the run, were out of the news loop. That, and they were probably dumb to become thieves/bandits in the first place.

As Po and Crane approached the North edge of the Valley, they could see the dispute. There was a large fight where the north road entered town. An incoming group of traders had been cut off and robbed by a large gang of ruffians. Wagons and carts had been tipped over. A small but very brave group of town guards were barely holding their own. There was no way they would be able to last until more help arrived. Their were at least twoscore bandits armed with crude and nasty weaponry. Clubs, fists, and knives! Already some of the valuables from the carts were being loaded into sacks, or just wheeled away. A fine China salesmen wept beneath his overturned carts.

The townspeople saw Po and Crane sweeping in to the rescue, and let out a cheer. "The Dragon Warrior! The Dragon Warrior is coming!" Instantly the vibe changed.

A wolf-bandit looked up from the goat he was about to club. "The what?"

This guy, at least, fit into the not-so-smart category.

Crane dropped Po, shining robe and all, on top of the wolf. "The Me!" Declared Po as he stood with his foot planted on the wolf's face. Tigress leapt in beside him, after sending a thug flying into his comrades with a vicious kick. Crane created a powerful gust of wind, knocking the gangmembers back from the beleugared townsfolk. A half-dozen bandits started to make a run for it with their stolen valuables. "Crane! Stop them!" said Po.

Crane gave him a concerned glance. This was a large and tough-looking gang; it would be safer to wait for the rest of the five. "We got this! The others are on their way!" Crane nodded and took off after the runners, over a group of largly confused gangmembers. Only two against so many? Their hesitation bought the townspeople time to pull back the wounded.

Po made brief eye-contact with Tigress. She gave a small nod. _They could do this!_ And just like that they were a ferocious blur, smashing through the miscreants as if they were rice paper. They were too fast too touch, and the bandits were too surprised at first to react. Po bounced a boar off his belly into the melee, sending several baddies flying like bowling pins. Tigress spun and danced overhead, using well-placed blows to stun when their was an opening, and breaking bones when there wasn't. She was a fast learner with the nerve attack. Bandits fell everywhere, but there where many and they were tough. They formed a ring around Po and Tigress, forcing them to fight back to back. No more messing around. "PO! Double time!" They joined paws and went back on the offensive, starting their famous dance of destruction.

A crowd of spectators had gathered off the sides of the road and in the windows of the houses. They "oohed" and "aahed" as bandits flew all about. It really was a sight to see! Tigress and Po moved as one. First they had to get some breathing room.

Po swung Tigress around full circle, and she almost seemed to walk on faces as she kicked repeatedly. This broke the perimeter and knocked many out of the fight. Tigress touched down, then whipped Po into a big Gorilla. Using his momentum Po landed a devastating kick onto the Gorilla warrior's nose, knocking him out instantly. Po landed, then ducked as he swung out his leg and tripped a big Ox. Tigress vaulted off of Po's shoulders and sent the villain tumbling with a powerful kick. Po easily caught a thrown knife between his hands then threw it back handle first at the owner, hitting him between the eyes. Kung-Fu warriors, after all, only killed when necessary. Tigress roared as she did a wide roundhouse kick. "_Gee I wish I could do that"_ thought Po.

What little that was left of the gang couldn't even get away by then.

A thoroughly frightened fox with an eyepatch made a run for it. Po grabbed a length of rope from a cart nearby and lasso'd him around the tail. The fox was pulled off his feet and dragged back slowly. He scrabbled at the ground, whimpering pathetically. Po kicked him over on his back. Tigress stood over, arms crossed.

The fox went into groveling mode. "Didn't mean to! Honest!" A couple money-pouches fell out of his pockets. "We've all got bills to pay! Right?"

Po put on his best pretend severe face and looked over at Tigress. "What do you think about this one? Ten years of labor camp? Water torture? Or is that too good for him?" Po then crossed his neck with a finger, as if suggesting execution.

The fox paled visibly through his fur. Tigress leaned over close to the fox, looking him in the eye. "You know what, I don't think we have to worry about this one. He can guess what might happen if he shows his face here again. Let him tell all his little friends too." She cut the rope with a claw.

The fox bowed at their feet "Thank you oh merciful-OOOOPH!"

Po punted the fox down the road. "And stay out!"

He turned to Tigress "I think he wet himself… we should use those lines again next time! GO TEAM YEAH!" Po held out his hand in a high five. Tigress hesitated. Such antics were usually below her, but Po gave her a pleading look that said "don't leave me hanging." She smiled and gave him a good high five back. Crane returned, having caught each of the runners.

Just then the rest of the five arrived and jumped into combat stances. Only… there was no-one to fight. Bandits were lying everywhere, unconscious or groaning in pain. The town guard was rounding them all up and taking them to jail. The townspeople went wild! Tigress and Po were swarmed with adoring fans wanting autographs. "Where'd you get that awesome robe?" "What were those moves called?" "Kiss my baby!"

Mantis, Monkey, and Viper got little attention this time. This had never really happened before. Well, actually Po had been the star of Gongmen, but this was the Valley of Peace. After a good half-hour Po and Tigress managed to work their way out of the crowd. The Five and Po began to walk back to the palace. Monkey was the first to say something. "You could have left us something you know."

"Yeah sorry guys, but people were getting hurt, and they were running off with stuff. We kind of didn't have a choice." Po said.

Tigress was much more frank. "Perhaps you should have run faster.

This earned her some annoyed glares. She was right, though  
Po had an idea to cheer them up.

"Hey, why don't you guys go get some lunch at my Dad's?"

"What, you're not coming? You need to stop this diet thing Po it's like you're shrinking." Said Viper.

"Yeah! Heh.. Pretty soon you won't be able to use your stomach attack!" Mantis added.

"Ha! No it's not that. Shifu is still on me for what I did this morning. Unless I find those stupid scrolls I can't even get the day off."

"What scrolls?" Asked Viper.

"The ones on *****sigh … politics…" said Po gloomily.

They began to pass by Mr. Ping's restaurant, now known as 'Dragon Warrior noodles and tofu.' Shifu was playing majhong with Po's dad again. It was actually a bit after the lunch rush so it wasn't very busy. Mr. Ping put a tile down with an air of finality. Shifu slapped himself in the forehead and groaned. He would never beat this guy!

"Po!" yelled Mr. Ping excitedly. He waddled over to the door of the shop. "So good to see you!" The old goose ran up and hugged Po. "Peh! Now I actually can fit my arms around you! What on earth do they feed you at that place?"

Monkey and Mantis couldn't help but chortle. Po's dad had no shame. At all. Mr. Ping tossed an apron at Po "Well your friends look skinny too. Let's get cooking eh?" Po's stomach grumbled.

"Dad, I'm sorry, I'm kinda supposed to be doing something right now."

Mr. Ping raised a feather. "You _were_. That is until I beat Master Shifu at Majhong. I bet him!"

Po looked over at Shifu, shocked. "I never read you as the betting type."

Shifu grumbled "Assuming you took care of that warning bell I suppose that you've earned this penance anyway!" Shifu jumped off the seat and began to walk out of the restaurant.

"Awww, don't be like that! C'mon have some lunch with us!" Po pleaded.

"I should get back to looking for those scrolls…" Said Shifu gloomily. He exited the archway and made a right turn.

"He's just a sore loser." Whispered Mr. Ping. Po did an insulting impression of Shifu. "A TRUE warrior, _never_ quits!"

A voice came from down the street. "I heard that!" Shifu appeared at the archway again. "And I'm staying for a rematch!" Shifu pointed his finger at Mr. Ping.

Mr. Ping cleared the board excitedly, then said "And if you win, you don't even have to pay!"

Tables were pushed together, chairs moved, and there sat the Kung-Fu warriors of the Jade Palace. It always did seem strange when any of them dined in such an informal atmosphere. Sure, Dragon Warrior noodles and tofu was the best in town, but it was still just a noodle shop. Having the grandmaster of Kung-Fu and the greatest fighters in China there was almost as strange as inviting royalty.

The villagers loved it! People made orders just so they could dine in the presence of the five. Imagine that, getting to have noodles in the company of celebrity! The most popular fan poster, by far, was the one of the masters at the Winter feast. It had reminded the Valley that the masters were still just animals.

In five minutes the place was packed, and Shifu had to wait until all the tables were served. He certainly didn't have to wait long. The Pings were a storm in the kitchen, and no-one had to wait very long. Po served everyone at the "Master's Table" and then sat down.

There they were again, together at the table. Even Tigress was smiling. She was always happy at the mealtimes now. Tigress glanced around the table briefly. There, at the head of the table, sat her father. No more pretending. He had always been her father deep down, hadn't he? Around the table sat her brothers (and sister) in arms. And there, at the other end of the table, was her best friend. All was right with the world, especially the soup. Would this ever have come to be without him? Probably not. Why did this have to be a day off? He would probably spend the rest of the day with his dad cooking and goofing around. All she did on these days was train. Alone. There's a funny though: _that bothered her now_, _now that she understood what it was to not be alone_.

When lunch was over everyone began to disperse. Po stayed behind to watch Shifu lose at something, and then to spend the rest of the day with his dad. Tigress noticed a new fan poster on her way back to the palace. It had her and Po doing one of their "double time" moves. She was smiling, doing a one-handed handstand over Po's head while doing a split-kick. Po was wearing his gift from the emperor, and had his palms outstretched in a striking position. There was a Yin/Yang symbol in the background. Now they really were the "dynamic dou" it seemed. Tigress heard a laugh behind her. "Aww you two make the cutest couple!"

It was Viper, and she was obviously amused.

"So that's what you've been giggling about all week!?" said Tigress with a nasty scowl on her face. She towered over Viper.

Viper frowned. Big mistake! She didn't dare think what might have happened if she had brought it up in front of the others. "Eassssy… I was just kidding around."

Tigress gave Viper a glare that could burn, but then gave a half-laugh, half-cough. "Hmph… heh. Actually that would be pretty funny. Sorry about the outburst." With that she strode off towards the Jade Palace.

Crane had seen a little of what happened and walked over.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time eh?"

"Yeah" said Viper with a flummoxed look on her face.

"I bugged Po about that too, actually. I wish I had talked to you about this earlier."

Crane then told Viper about what had happened that morning.

"Poor Po. He just has to be attracted to pain, doesn't he?" said Viper sadly.

"Heh, more like poor Tigress." Countered Crane.

"I don't know. She seemed pretty insulted just now."

Crane waved his wing. "She's acting. She might not even know it, but she loves him too."

Viper shook her head slowly. "Crane, you're over-reaching. People can't be read like books. Tigress especially. Before Gongmen I would never have even thought her capable of deeper emotion."

Crane was not convinced. "I'm onto her. Did you see the way her tail twitched when she stared you down?"

"No, it was behind her"

"Exactly! It's totally her tell. I've seen it a couple times now. She was hiding something I just know it."

Viper rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Though I guess it is her loss. Heh.. and Po really thinks she's out of his league? I just don't get how such a sweet guy could fall for someone so prickly… though she has gotten a lot better since he showed up."

Crane spoke: "You know, I think under that prickly shell there's actually a really soft person. Haven't you ever seen Tigress around kids?"

Viper hit herself in the head with her tail, as if to say "Of course!"

"Duh! I'd totally forgotten about that. She's almost as good as Po! Remember that time she helped Po teach his Kung-Fu class? Or when we evacuated the valley and she carried that little lost bunny? Ooh! Or that little piglet at the winter feast?"

"That's who Po's seen all along." Said Crane.

"And they're both orphans." Added Viper.

"Both of them were outcasts as children." Reminded Crane.

"They have complementary styles." Viper went on excitedly.

"How are they not together?"

Crane looked Viper dead in the eye. "Easy now! I gave Po my word. This is touchy, and Tigress is Tigress."

"You said you wouldn't mess it up, that's all. But we won't mess it up." Argued Viper.

"_We_ aren't doing anything and you'd better not either!" said Crane

Viper was plotting, he could tell.

/

Meanwhile Tigress hopped up the steps to the Training Hall. "A couple_?_ This better be limited to Viper." But then another thought, unbidden, came to mind. "_And what exactly would be so bad about that?" _

WOAH! Where did that come from?

She was a Kung-Fu fighter in the most elite force of China. She lived to serve, to protect, nothing else. The nagging voice came again from the back of her head. "_LIAR!" _

Okay, yeah, she admitted that was a lie. But Po and Her? Together? They did spend like everyday together already. Honestly the thought of ever having that sort of relationship had never even entered her wildest dreams. Growing up she had barely hoped to have any sort of family, or friends. She'd barely gotten to have a father. She scared everyone around her, even other Tigers. Sure people respected her now, but she was a Kung-Fu Master, and didn't really act feminine at all. On top of that she was a little cold even to those closest to her. Who could ever love her _that way_?  
_"He could."_

Could He? Po wasn't afraid of her most of the time, and if he was he certainly liked being afraid. He actually enjoyed her company! That was a first in her book. She remembered his first month at the palace. Unlike the others he had actually wanted to spar with her. It was the beginning of her first true friendship. Tigress smirked. She really hadn't known how miserable she was before he came along, had she?

And that time he hugged her on the docks… when for once her heart didn't have to beat alone. It was such a wonderfully warm and tender moment…

"_Well that settles it. I've fallen for a Panda. I probably looked like such an idiot just standing there staring on the dock." _Could she really be blamed? Tigress could count the number of hugs she'd had on one hand. The others probably knew that. How embarrassing.

Was it her pride that made her so defensive to Viper? That didn't really make sense at all. Po was destined to be one of the greatest Kung-Fu warrior in history, and was a better person than her in many ways. If Po wasn't good enough, no one was. Tigress felt a bit rotten for that.

Did she dare try and get together with Po?

"_No" _Tigress thought. Po was her friend, her only friend. She couldn't risk that. He was jolly, kind, fun, and had a pure heart. She was well… not that. Po hung out with her because she was his Kung-Fu hero, because she taught him, because (and here Tigress smiled) she was 'awesome.' Yes they were friends, best friends, but she was not lovable like that. Best friends or not, Po might freak out if he knew… things might never be the same. Tigress then felt a small pain in her chest, a feeling she knew all too well. Heartache. Po's company had kept this feeling from rearing its ugly head for a while, but here it was again. There was only one thing she knew that could distract her from such pains: training.

Tigress flung open the doors of the training hall and leapt into it. She took on every obstacle with no break in between. She broke the swinging clubs, splintered the wooden warriors, and swung through the hanging rings. When you're a Kung-Fu master tiring yourself out is hard!

Shifu walked by the training hall. "_Po and his father get along so well! How could I be a good father like that?" _ There really wasn't anything but Kung-Fu in their world. They did get to spend time together doing that, right? Shifu peeked inside the training hall. _"Oh… she's in one of those moods again. It's probably my fault she does that. Maybe later…" _Shifu kept walking.

Tigress was frustrated. That little pain wasn't going away so easily. _"A run! That's what I need!"_ She shot out of the hall like a bullet, sprinting into the mountains. Over streams she ran, over grass, up trees, over stone. Still her mind was not at ease. _"I could work on balance!" _Tigress leapt onto a nearby boulder and stood upside-down on one-hand. She concentrated on her center, lifting herself up by her fingers. Five fingers was too easy, however. She dropped the pinky-claw. Four. Four was still way too easy. Tigress transferred all her weight off her thumb and curled it. Three.

Now she was sweating profusely, swaying dangerously. Tigress was only able to go down to two fingers for a brief moment before dropping to her feet. Oogway, it was said, could hand-stand on one finger whilst atop his staff.

Tigress kept the game up until nightfall, still unsatisfied. She had tried everything, and figured she should just meditate and then call it a day. She was already near one of her favorite spots anyway. It was a really nice night, and the moon was full and bright. Tigress walked along a river in a grove of trees. The Aspen trees seemed to glimmer as the leaves shook in the breeze. Where a stream flowed into the river Tigress jumped across. The stream, as only she knew, led to a small, deep pool surrounded by rock walls. The pool was fed by a waterfall, and the rock was dotted with ferns. The water was very dark, and cold, having melted from snowpack higher up. Cold was good to Tigress. It brought great focus to her meditations. It was a good pain. She lowered herself into the water, lying on her back with her head towards the waterfall. She could feel the intense flow of the river on every bit of fur. She imagined the water flowing down to the valley, then to the ocean where it would crash on the sand. It was very relaxing, being one with the water. Tigress felt much more in tune than usual.

Her mind wandered to many things, things she had asked herself before. Overall she ended up ruminating, not meditating. Who was she? What did she want in life? Why shouldn't she be loved? After several minutes of going nowhere, she came to the same conclusions she always had. _Life isn't fair, and it changes_.

She decided to stop dwelling on such subjects, to move forward. She had been in that miserable hole for her whole life. She unconsciously decided to embrace change, to discount fairness. Her eyes opened under the water, two orange globes in the blackness. From under the water the moon seemed to waver and dance. If the water wasn't forty degrees it could lull her to sleep… time to get out.

Tigress stepped out onto the bank. The cold was replaced by the warm evening wind, but the flow? She could feel the flow as if she was still in the water. It was all around her, in the air, in the grass, in the trees. _The flow of the universe! _

**A/N Hah! Finally. Hope Y'all like where this is going. I would love some more reviews , especially constructive criticism. I think I kind of fudged the last part of this chapter. I kept re-doing it and trying to make it better. I had only put guideline notes in the notebook and I was on top of it then. **

**Fun fact:**** there was actually a Kung-Fu master who could do a one-finger handstand. He died in the 80's but was caught on film, and I think he had an apprentice. He used a wall for balance… but it's still cool. It might be even cooler than Bruce Lee's two finger pushup. I'll include a link to a youtube vid if anyone's interested. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Update 82712

**Hey everybody! I'm working hard on this story, but progress has slowed to a crawl. Not much I can do about that what with college and all. (Class was from nine AM to SEVEN PM today. BRUTAL!) Here are some responses to reviews and notes for the upcoming chapters. Help me out with your ideas/thoughts/questions please.**

**Salunatic:**

WOW! Now that is what I call a good review. Finally someone actually gives me some detailed constructive criticism and props. It's about damn time. Yeah I like to pretend the whole "Pain acceptance thing" is my own philosophy but everyone does it all the time. Like doing the Polar Plunge? It totally makes the sauna feel like ten times more awesome afterwards, and you get props for being a badass. Good Pain.

**Newboy**

Darn! That would have been a good idea. I think I didn't use this idea is because I figured one of the first things Po would have been asked was "how did you find peace?" after KFP 2. I don't really see why Shifu/The five wouldn't have found that out. But as far as Oogway knowing about Po beforehand… actually your review kind of spoiled a development I had planned.

I think Oogway didn't feign surprise when Po crash-landed in front of him. He didn't know Po existed, at least on an individual level. He likely did, however, instantly figure out Po's destiny (and as you said) strength of character. That was so Oogway; to read people like that. There's a bit more that I think Oogway knew, but I won't totally give away the next chapter. Lets just say Po fit into several of Oogway's plans. It was all given away in the way Oogway said "How interesting!"

**Tigress 137** Loyal fans are the best fans :).

To everybody who messaged me:

About the inner peace scene: Yeah I fudged that up. When the workload from this semester cools down I'll fix that. I wasn't trying to give the impression that a sudden revelation in cold water would bring her peace. Obviously I didn't make it apparent that her newfound love for Po and Shifu as a father made her comprehend how much she had suffered in loneliness. The whole finding inner Peace thing with Po was accepting terrible pain or loss, then moving on or growing from the experience. I really had a hard time capturing that. For now just pretend that's the message you got from the last scene. Now that I re-read my old chapters I think I fudged the first Oogway scene too (Where he stands on the heap of neer-do-wells in the town square) . I should have made it into a vivid flashback inside of Shifu's storytelling, much like they do with Po in _Secrets of the Furious Five _and _Secrets of the Masters. _ I'm going to find out who were the storywriters behind KFP… they were good. I really appreciate everyone telling me I've gotten the characters/potential storyline just right. I still feel that I'm getting a great number of things very wrong... Maybe KFP was just never meant to be told in just writing. The combination of musical score, charming animation, voice acting... it really is something special. And behind each movie is a key set of proverbs and morals. Beautiful! I've kind of touched at something along those lines in the last chapter, especially in the Crane/Po scene, (you may never get that chance again) but it was a little lame. And the Peach tree symbolism? I'm totally ripping that off the first movie, except I've changed the season.

This experience has also shown me just how much work goes into a good story. I mean… my story is like a pathetic little imp next to some of the ones on Fanfiction, not to mention popular books in general. Even if it didn't take very long to actually write those out, the creative process and planning totally would have taken YEARS. Like LOTR? Please. I used to think being a writer was somewhat of a joke….. but now the joke's on me. Be careful people. This might be one of those annoying stories that doesn't get finished if more reviews don't come in, or if my plant taxonomy course gets any more frustrating. _Why can't we pick between common names and binomials! ArrrgH!_

Pray those things don't happen.

One last thought- In case there's any more doubt that KFP isn't a totally awesome movie designed for audiences of all ages:

-The movies are being released 3-4 years apart, and there will be six. That's an epic tale of 18-_24 YEARS!_ By then the original fans and audience (if they were all kids to begin with) will have grown up. Its even worse than Harry Potter, and there were definitely people that said HP was a kid's thing. It'll be trippy looking back to now, and thinking _"What was I doing when the first KFP movie came out?"_ By then you'll likely have kids of your own. Imagine that. *Shudders.

-I've caught people in their fifties, and lots of college students watching the movies. Alone. Yeah they were a little embarrassed but in the end they had no excuse.

Anyway Tell me what you think! Throw out some ideas! I'm dying here.


	6. Chapter 4: The Sleeping Dragon

Chapter 4: The Sleeping Dragon

* * *

A lone figure rose from slumber, even before the sun. The sunrise, and the sunset were always late in such steep mountains. This created an extended twilight in which the morning sky was a soft blue glow, and the evenings a rosy pink. There were some North-facing slopes that only saw direct sunlight for a couple of hours a day. This allowed massive glaciers to form. No spring could thaw these gigantic walls of ice. Spring and Summer could only beat back the snow enough to make the mountains crossable. During half of the year crossing the Great Mountains of West China was even more foolish than braving the Gobi in high summer. The peaks were barren granite, surrounded by treacherous scree and jagged talus. Not using the paths would easily quadruple the travel time.

This was one of those places in the wide world where a traveler could journey for a week without seeing a single soul. This doesn't always mean that such passerby are alone; often the locals are just very good at not being found. The highest peaks of these mountains, however, were simply uninhabitable in the long term.

The lone figure broke camp. He had slept in a rock hut near the path, which was so well concealed as to be invisible to anyone who didn't know where it was. He had built this hut long ago, should he ever need to travel through these barren wastes.

He picked up his war hammer and used it as a walking staff, using it as support.

He was crossing the border of his homeland, and had a long journey ahead of him. It would be three weeks of constant walking, at the very least. He would work up to seventy _Li * (roughly 1/3 of a mile) _a day; a grueling pace for someone that didn't travel often. Such a journey required a heavy pack, and a monotonous diet, but this animal had a lot of soul of steel.

As the figure reached a saddle between two mighty peaks, he turned around. He saw the smaller mountains to the west far below in which he had long lived. On a peak ten Li away, the traveler knew, was a lookout. This was a friend of his, an eagle. He had to give him the customary whistle-yodel, letting him know he was leaving. Taking a deep breath and putting his fingers in his mouth he emitted a piercing note, fluctuating in tone several times. With practice such sounds could echo off rock faces for twenty Li! Twenty seconds passed before he heard a reply bounce back. "_All clear" _it translated to.

The traveler sighed heavily. He turned his back on the saddle and continued down the path. "_At least the rest of today is downhill"_ He thought. Maybe a song would liven things up.

"_A long and winding road, _

_one of maa—nny paths to tread…_

_When far away from home, _

_I'll need steady head…_

_See the way the wind sings!_

_Look at the meadows abloom!_

_Look at the mountains tall and cold,_

_Hallowed as a tomb!_

_This started at a door, _

_It could end at one too!_

_A fiii-re place so warm,_

_And a loaf of bread to chew!_

And so it went like that for hours, with the traveler walking on relentlessly through the wastes. He made up silly little songs just like that to pass the time, and by mid-day he was approaching the tree-line. At first not even the hardiest lichen could be found on the stone, but as the li went by the country became more familiar. The traveler leapt over a creek, using his war- hammer like a little vault. He increased the pace almost to a jog, letting gravity pull him down the mountain. The steady fall was almost trance-like, as the countryside rolled away beneath him. He began to enjoy himself, as his mind cleared and his joints loosened. When was the last time he had felt like this? So young and free? The bold spruce soon relented to firs and pines, and the cold flavorless mountain air gave way to the sweet smell of pitch and meadow. The water that burst from springs in the side of the mountain here would feed all the mighty rivers of China! Deep alpine lakes dotted the mountainside, and at a distance they resembled little sapphires. Up close the water was crystal clear, so clear that a boat-ride would probably feel more like a balloon ride. Trout were visible on the bottom!

Such sights were good for the soul (and the stomach!).

_The road goes ever, ever on._

_Over rock and under tree…_

_By caves where never light has shone,_

_By streams that never fii—nnnd the sea…._

_Over snow that's winter sown! _

_Through the flowers of June!_

_Over grass, and over stone…._

_Under mountains in the moon!_

Two and a half weeks of constant motion passed by quickly. The traveler's blisters had blisters on them, and his shoulders felt like they were eroding away. The pack was getting light, which was more bad than good considering how much he needed to eat. He was also in bandit country. But this traveler was strong, and his deep wells of courage allowed him to continue. He had a purpose, and an impossible-to-dominate will. His feet would carry him to the end of the earth itself. He was going East! He was going to the Valley of Peace!

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, in the Imperial Palace, the main hall was buzzing with activity. This hall was so long that not even the strongest bow could shoot from end to end. The width itself was as great as the grand canal downtown. The ceiling was high enough to carry a commanding echo, which was good because a shout wouldn't normally carry far enough. Not only was this hall _huge_ in scale, but it was opulent. Most of the supporting pillars running the length of the room were of polished red granite. Those in the center were of malachite; a brilliant and beautiful green stone with flecks of Mica. Priceless tapestries and mosaics lined the walls. Even the bare spaces were plated with shining metal or rosewood. "Hall" was actually a poor term to describe the massive room. Words like cathedral, mausoleum (There was a crypt underneath), or cavern came to mind (Although lighting wasn't an issue).

The Lighting! This was no dark and gloomy expanse, as one would expect the interior of such a large place to be. Nor was the entire room smoke-ridden from countless torches and chandeliers. Most architects of the age hadn't figured out how to light such large chambers, but here was a success at last. Huge shining copper mirrors, reflecting light from the outside, worked in conjunction with the plates on the walls to create a golden glow throughout the hall. It was only on nights of the new moon that lamps or braziers were really necessary. The only things burning at the moment were large quantities of cinnamon and sandalwood incense.

In the center of this magnificent hall was an incredibly detailed, three-dimensional map of China and its neighbors. It was on a large movable platform, and had storage lockers for supplemental maps and documents. This platform easily covered as much ground as an average house! On top of this map were what resembled game pieces, each with its own symbol. There were pieces that represented different military units, trading caravans, and so on. As couriers came swooping into the hall with news, these pieces were moved. As you might imagine moving symbols and models around the map would not be possible from the edges given the immense size, and flying above the board would displace important markers. Several small cranes with suspended servants hovered over the center of the map when markers needed to be moved, and models near the edge of the map were reached with long broom-like tools.

Around this massive structure stood the shining emperor's key advisors, heads of state, and the generals of the Imperial Army. They were very busy at the moment, and couriers were dropping off scrolls every few seconds or so. Attendants would quickly take them to the appropriate official, who would then bark a command to a map-servant. Portable work-tables, each with its own team of scribes hard at work, were scattered around the central map. For every scroll that came in the hall, at least another had to leave. One would think that all of the clamor and debate in the hall would lead to an ambiance similar to a rowdy restaurant, but it was not so. Only the most prominent figures and officials were allowed to hold normal conversation. All of the countless servants, scribes, and minor attendants communicated with sign language.

All of this activity was closely followed by the Emperor himself, from atop a tall pedestal down the hall. He stood with a posture that screamed "royalty." He wore shining robes of golden thread, which on anyone else would simply be poor taste. The Emperor, of course, defined good fashion as he saw fit. The only thing more dazzling and golden than the gold robe itself were the feathers on his head. Long black-checkered feathers fell like locks of hair below this, and the Emperor's chest was deep red. He was pretty much the definition of a "showy" bird.

Only the most trusted and loyal were allowed to approach the pedestal directly without permission. In fact, to even enter the main hall was impossible for almost everyone in China. Only in the rarest circumstances were commoners even allowed into the palace grounds, a small city in itself. All of the servants were put through brutal and cold selection regimens. The regimens and nets of security were drawn increasingly tighter the closer one got to the Emperor and his entourage. To work in the main hall for example, a servant had to have his family under surveillance, which essentially meant they were hostages. There were plans within plans, and backups to everything. An empire doesn't last a millennium by skimping on palace security.

The Emperor was weary. Running China was a glorious duty, but a taxing one. He had sworn he had seen a grey feather in the mirror last week! He glanced to his right, where several of his potential successors were seated. They were there to learn, to observe, but would any of them be ready to assume such a mantle of responsibility if he passed? He was doing the best he could to prepare them, recalling scattered memories of when he was in their position. Oogway had stayed at the palace for some weeks, conditioning him for what was to come.

"_But I didn't even want this! Why don't you give the throne to my brother Feng!" Griped a much younger golden pheasant. _

" _What if I fail?!" He was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, tears stinging his eyes._

_Oogway just smiled at this. _

"_Do you know how many times I've heard those words, in this exact spot?" _

_The bird was greatly confused._

_Oogway put his gnarly old 'hands' on the pheasant's narrow shoulders. _

"_I picked you precisely because you didn't want to be picked. You didn't want responsibility, or power, or anything of that sort…. _

_You are only concerned about what happens to the people of China, that you could let them down. And if you're not careful, you very well could! _

_There's a saying; '__some are born great, others will achieve greatness, and still others have greatness thrust upon them.' _

_**You**__ are all three of those things at once. I know so!"_

_Oogway draped a grand ceremonial cape around the young emperor. "I know it's unfair that you should shoulder such a terrible burden." Here he frowned. _

"_But this isn't about you." _

_Oogway gestured towards the door to the palace balcony. _

"_Its about them. The hopes and dreams of millions! They need someone like you."_

_Oogway looked him in the eyes. _

_You don't think you're ready? No emperor I've chosen ever has. I would hardly feel ready myself, and I'm old enough to know!"_

_The emperor laughed, the tears gone from his eyes. "I suppose you are!"_

_Oogway rapped the pheasant's ankles with his staff. "Quite the joker aren't we? Now get out there, and don't forget that smile. Everybody's anxious to meet you!" _

_Full of newfound energy the new emperor swung open the double doors to the palace balcony. A roar filled the massive courtyard, as tens of thousands of eager onlookers cheered in unison. Enormous drums were beaten, and legions of trumpeteers gave their praise. Banners and Confetti filled the air as fireworks exploded all around. The Emperor strode past the honor guard to the edge of the balcony, looking like a golden god in the bright sun. He looked down at the masses with pride and joy. He wouldn't fail. He would be whatever they needed him to be!_

"Your excellency?" The Emperor was thrown back into the present. He did a poor job of hiding his surprise. "_Damn… well at least it's Xui." _He thought to himself. He could trust the Loon with anything. That whole "not worthy to view the contents" act was utter nonsense whenever he made a delivery.

"Please, must you always insist on such formality?"

"It never gets old Yuan." Xui said teasingly.

"Well I am getting old! And this room is becoming stuffy. Care for a walk?"

Xui looked around the biggest, airiest room in China and laughed. "Does it really matter whether or not **I** care for one?"

"Honest as always! You're right. Let's go." The emperor waved his hand and the imperial guard filtered out towards the palace gardens.

Xui and the emperor walked side by side through the lush and constantly tended grounds. In an instant every servant was cleared from the premises, and there was almost total silence.

"Anything interesting happen in my absence?" Asked Xui. He already knew the answer to that question, but he knew he was one of his friend's only outlets to vent on.

"Oh Dear Gods! Those stinking Malaysian Pirates are at it again in the South China Sea! Those blasted barbarians are imposing tolls on the Silk Road! The damn Japanese are refusing to trade again, and to top it off a messenger from Llasa said the Dalai Lama died last week!" The Emperor calmed down a bit, then asked:

"What news from the Jade Palace?" Xui frowned.

"They've searched the entire grounds top to bottom several times, and I have no doubts to their abilities." Xui said. He hoped his friend would take this information well.

The Golden Pheasant let out a long sigh, then stopped to smell a rose bush off the path. After a few moments of drinking in the perfume, he said: "I won't lie: this is terrible news. I've exhausted every other option. Oogway must have foreseen this! What was he thinking?"

"That Shifu would be more than capable of choosing your successor?" Xui suggested.

The Emperor shook his head. "Oogway is irreplaceable, and Shifu is only a teacher of Kung-Fu."

The pair continued their walk, passing by an alley of bonsai cedars hundreds of years old. Then came the moss gardens, where the ground was as soft as a pillow. Nothing was said until the two of them started watching the Koi pond.

"The Dragon Warrior, then?"

The Golden Pheasant stopped walking altogether and burst out laughing. "Surely you're jesting? While I admit this 'Po' is spectacular, even miraculous, he is not a proper substitute. By the way, is he wearing that robe I designed?"

Xui smiled. "Every day. He's quite proud of it. He may be young, and appear a simpleton on the surface, but there is something quite profound about that one. Something _very_ Oogway." Xui said this with a highly suggestive and pleasant tone.

The Emperor was very amused at this. "You think so?"

"I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. Give him a decade or so. He'll grow into the role better than you think." Xui replied.

The Emperor lifted his head from a particularly rare flower, as if inspired.

"Let's hope."

* * *

Said Panda was eating some almond cookies with his buddies Monkey and Mantis on the steps of the training hall. ***Crunch ** Monkey had the jar of cookies held possessively in his lap, and Mantis was halfway done with his on Po's shoulder. The trio was taking a brief break from pressure-point training.

"Good batch buddy **Nomph nom." **Said Po with a mouth full of cookie.

"What do you put in these anyway?"

Monkey tossed him another cookie.

"Like I would tell you that. But maybe I'd consider it if you told me what you put in that soup…." Monkey shrugged his shoulders.

Po rolled his eyes. "Ug! I already told you. There is no secret ingredient! Don't you remember that whole story about the Dragon Scroll?"

Po held up his cookie.

"Sure there isn't!" Said Mantis. As Po prepared to bite into the cookie Mantis stunned his jaw shut. The cookie ended up crumbling all over Po's face, much to their amusement.

Po flicked away Mantis with his finger before trying to un-stun his jaw. He took several attempts, which only strengthened his friend's laughter. Mantis was still the best at the nerve-attack, no question. "Very funny!" Said Po as he wiped the crumbs off of his face.

Shifu then walked out of the hall and gave the three one of his 'looks.' Monkey tossed him a cookie, which Shifu then tossed to Po. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm not in the mood."

"What's up?" Asked Po.

"With all of his power, all of his grace, the Emperor of China asked me to do him a little favor. A tiny request, and I can't do it!"

Po finished eating the crumbs off of his fingers. "The scrolls aren't here Shifu, the emperor gets it. No biggie."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "No Biggie? We've lost the manual on how to run an empire, and you think it's _no biggie_?

Po raised a finger. "Well Oogway wouldn't put the scrolls in the Palace anyway." He argued.

Shifu shook his head, then started walking down the steps to from the training hall. It took him a minute to register. He slowly turned around. "What did you just say?"

Monkey and Mantis shared a concerned look.

Po tilted his head and gestured with his paws. "Well think about it. The Jade Palace is like a monument to Kung-Fu, not empire. It's where all of the scrolls of Kung-Fu are kept. Oogway's stuff about gardening is kept by, well… farmers. So wouldn't it totally make sense that the scrolls of political stuff would be kept, idonno, in the Imperial Palace? Why not tell the Emperor to search his place?"

"He already has." Replied Shifu(He didn't even bother yelling at the Panda for calling Oogway's natural studies 'gardening').

"Well what about Town Hall?" Suggested Po.

Shifu then rapped Po on the noggin with his staff.

"What was that for?" Po said as he rubbed his head.

"For not speaking up earlier! I should have known Oogway would throw you into this mess somehow!"

Po frowned, as Shifu got more excited. "We will search the town hall from top to bottom!" Shifu had trotted down from the steps before he noticed he was alone.

"Po!" He shouted in an annoyed tone. Po let out a low groan.

Monkey, at least, threw him another cookie. "Here's one for the road buddy!"

Down the thousand steps to the Valley went the master and pupil, and into the center of town. Po was not happy about being dragged into scroll-searching again. Villagers bowed as the two of them walked about. The Town hall was a large, but mostly humble building. In a matter of minutes Shifu had the whole place cleared, save for a couple attendants to help in the search. Although Shifu didn't really have any sort of authority over the Valley on paper, his requests were carried out without a hint of protest. It helped that he said it was "an emergency."

Shifu and Po did a quick check of all the rooms, until at last they came into the actual 'hall' of the town hall. This was where conferences, votes, and meetings occurred. Most town halls were laid out with a stage or pulpit that would seat figures of authority. The rest of the hall would be seating for citizens. The Valley of Peace deviated from the norm, with a large circular stone table in the center of the room. Around this table were seats for everyone. It was a very odd layout for a town hall, and it reflected the very unusual local government of the Valley. Against some walls of the room were cubbies for records, town property, and various documents. Portraits of famous representatives, and maps were on every other surface. There was little decoration, save for the sculpture of a Dragon in the center of the stone table. The head was in the center of the table, and the dragon's body twisted around itself in a spiral. The body of the dragon was gilded, and the dragon had steel teeth and eyes. It was a nice touch. The room was full of foldable wooden chairs, clustered around different areas. Apparently there had been a meeting going on.

Shifu glanced at Po.

"What are you looking at me for?" Said Po.

"Well, do your thing!" Shifu gestured at the room.

Po glanced around the room, putting his hand on his chin. Nothing really seemed to jump out at him. After a minute he reached into one of his robe pockets to get the cookie Monkey had gave him.

Shifu whipped out his staff, knocked the cookie into the air, then caught it. "Focus!"

Po gave an exasperated groan and slumped his shoulders. Then he crossed his arms and locked eyes with Shifu.

"Are we really going back to that strategy? I don't even eat that much anymore. "

Shifu put on a mocking persona. "Oh, well I suppose you are on a _diet_. Here, let me _help_ you with that." Shifu opened his mouth and moved the cookie ever so slowly towards it.

Po's demeanor quickly changed. "Alright, Alright! Take it easy! Monkey doesn't bake very often."

Shifu's eye's narrowed. "That's what I thought. Now I'm not spending another three weeks looking in circles for these scrolls. _We_ are going to find them. If _We _don't find them today, then we'll search tomorrow, and then the next day, and the next day. And if we don't find them that day, can you guess what we'll do then?"

Po raised a finger. "We call it quits?"

"WRONG!" Shifu growled as he rapped his staff on the floor. Po uttered a little whimper. "Now get to it!"

Po's hand went back to his chin. He thought for a moment.

"Well don't even bother checking the scrolls in the cubbies, or the library. Don't even check the index. Oogway totally wouldn't do that."

"And how on earth would you know what Oogway would and wouldn't do? I knew him most of my life. You knew him a couple days." Said Shifu.

"Well am I on the right track?" Said Po.

"Actually you probably are."

Shifu thought back to all the times he had casually dismissed Oogway's riddling. _"If only I'd paid more attention. How could I have been so arrogant!" _He thought.

Po smiled. "Oho! Well Oogway was totally into indirectness, riddling, proverbs, that stuff. I mean come on, he was totally messing with everybody when it came to the Dragon Scroll deal. And he totally could have just given me the scroll itself when I first got to the palace. But he wanted me to figure it out. He wanted you and the five to beat the crap out of me. He wanted us to learn something. I mean, c'mmon, can you imagine if he had just told me what the scroll meant on day one?"

Shifu chuckled. "That wouldn't have been good."

"Oogway totally saw this coming. He would have had a plan or something. Maybe it's not fancy, or complicated, but he would have had something special set up just for us." Po put his hands on his hips. "I just can't guess at what it is."

"Well it has to hinge on you Po. I've already given it everything I've got."

"Hinge on me?" Po whispered. At that moment his eyes happened to settle on the mouth of the dragon sculpture. _No way._ _No possible way it could be that easy._

"Po?" Asked Shifu, getting concerned. Po pointed at the sculpture of the dragon in the middle of the stone table. "

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"So you've started thinking have you?" Po ignored this caustic language.

"I'll be right back I promise!" Po said as he ran out of the room. He left a very befuddled Shifu leaning on his staff.

Back up the thousand steps ran Po, as fast as he could. Now he could actually run all the way up in a decent amount of time. He was huffing and puffing when he got to the top, but he didn't stop. He climbed up to the courtyard, sprinted past the training hall, then burst into the dormitories.

Tigress sat in her room filing her claws. She heard the heavy thumps and creaks the floor gave as the Panda ran down the hall to his room across the hall. She smirked evilly. _He's getting surprise today_.

Po threw open the lid to one of his chests, and reached down inside. There it was in all of its shiny glory! The Dragon Scroll! He should really find a more secure place for it.

Po ran back into the hall, almost running into Crane and Viper. "Hey Po! Said Viper with her typical smile. Crane gave a nod. "Hey! Gotta run Shifu's waiting on me!" Po said with half a breath. He ran by them and back out the hall. Crane opened the door to his room, and was about to shut it when he noticed Viper was still going down the hall. She had already passed her room! Crane stepped on her tail.

Viper gave him an annoyed glare.

Crane returned the look with one that could kill. Viper conceded and turned back towards her room. _I'll have to keep an eye on her._

Po jogged down the steps, taking extra care not to trip and tumble. He had already done that enough times! It did not take Po long to return to the Town Hall.

"Well at least you're getting a bit faster." Said Shifu.

Po ignored his comment, taking the scroll out of his pocket and jumping on the stone table in the center of the room. Shifu guessed at what he was going to do.

"That's absurd! He would never do something like that!" He exclaimed.

Po wagged his finger. "_You_ would think that. But _I _would. As you said before, Oogway planned on me figuring this out right?"

Shifu shook his head. "The metal teeth are in the way. It'll never fit like it did in the Jade Palace."

Po made sure the scroll case caps were screwed on tight, then gently pushed the case into the Dragon's maw. The little metal teeth retracted into the sculpture as the scroll was pushed in, and after a series of clicks it locked in tight. Po gave Shifu a look that said "I told you so."

After a few moments of tense silence a loud mechanism was heard, followed by the sound of stone sliding on stone. The Dragon sculpture sunk into the stone table bit by bit, becoming a spiral staircase. At the bottom of the staircase was a little archway leading into a dark chamber. Shifu grabbed a lamp from one of the walls and led the way down the staircase. He was to shocked at the moment to really say anything. When they reached the archway Shifu held out the lamp to light the way. There, right in front of them, was a little room. Po had to duck through the archway as they entered the room. All of the walls were full of scroll-cubbies, and in each cubby were dozens of scrolls. They were well labeled and in perfect order. They were dusty, but it was easy to tell how nice they were by the bindings and scroll-cases. They had been made to last. There had to be at least a few hundred in all. Besides these, on the ground in front of them was a little metal box. The top had the words "For Shifu" engraved on it.

"Po?"

"Yes Master Shifu?"

"You get to set up the Kung-Fu exhibit next time."

* * *

Po, hoping it was the last time that day, climbed the thousand steps to the Jade Palace. He told Zheng to go meet Shifu down at Town Hall, then turned towards the kitchen. There was perhaps time for a quick lunch. He had already got a pot out of one of the cabinets before he caught himself. _"A half-dozen cookies is enough." _

In an act of extreme self-control he shelved the pot and walked out. He had missed out on some training time anyway.

Po jogged out on the path into the mountains. On the side of the path, partially hidden from view, was a little ring of stones. It was like a check-in system for Tigress and Po. If he had free time and was going to be out in the forest on a particular day, he would take a big jade rock and put it in the center. Tigress, in turn, would use a piece of red pumice (When she even wanted him to know she was already out there). It was only recently that she bothered doing that, as she could no longer surprise him. On this day the stone was not there. _"She must be busy perfecting the nerve-technique." _Tigress had gotten very good at that, but only with mammals. She needed to practice more on birds and snakes (much to the dismay of Crane and Viper). After placing his stone in the ring, Po continued down the path.

When he got to the Ironwood grove he began to train. He wished 'stripes' (Tigress hated that nick-name) would show up, but he had originally found the spot to train alone anyway. He worked on his balance and form, then went back to the old punching trees routine. Being able to punch through stone and metal was too cool! He promised himself he'd be able to do it one day.

After a bit of that Po decided to work on his "inner peace" form. He found it a little hard to concentrate when he wasn't in a life or death situation, and so needed to practice. While in such a state, he sensed a presence approaching. He had honed his sixth sense to encompass a broader area. There was only one person it could be, of course.

Po took Monkey's cookie out of his robe pocket and ate it. He glanced around briefly, sifting through the energies in the area. Knowing Tigress was out there made it much easier to concentrate.

"Heh heh…. Back to this again are we? Don't you remember? I have eyes on the back of my head!"

Po sensed Tigress was in the tree directly in front of him. He pointed up and shouted "aha!" But there was no-one. There was also no sound. Then he sensed she was in a bush just to his right. He ran over and looked into them. "Gotcha!"

Still, there was nothing there. Po backed up into the center of the clearing. _" Oh no no no… This can't be good. Not good at all." _

Tigress was, of course, actually nearby. She was having a grand old time too. Much like Shifu had done to Po in the Dragon Grotto (almost a month ago) Tigress was presenting Po a fantastic illusion. Attaining Inner Peace allowed a person to recognize the flows of natural energy around them. Even more fantastic, these flows could be perturbed as the Kung-Fu master saw fit. It was all a matter of practice and personality. Things that were easy to master for some would seem impossible for others, and vice versa. Creating an illusion just meant projecting one's image separate from one's actual self. It just involved bending light to and fro. In Po's case, however, moving images wasn't enough. As he had also acquired Inner Peace, he could also sense people based on their energies. What Tigress was doing was redirecting the energy signal Po had used to hone in on her before. It made Po's sixth sense almost useless, and allowed her to sneak up on him once again.

She was actually standing a few feet behind him, moving ever so silently as Po turned to look at each new potential hiding spot.

Deciding he had had enough, she tripped him with her tail. She leaned over Po. "Boo!"

Po gave a little shriek and rolled out from under Tigress.

"No way! You….. How did you do that?" Po said as he stood back up.

Tigress smugly crossed her arms over her chest. "Inner Peace."

Po's jaw dropped. "Nooooo…"

Tigress's voice then came from behind him, even though she was standing right in front of him. "Yes!"

Po turned around. _There was no-one there_

Po poked his finger at the empty space. Tigress really wasn't standing there. He turned back to face her. "It's back to square one for you I'm afraid." She said with a grin plastered all over her face.

"This… is….. awesome! Shifu never told me how to do that! Can you teleport too?" Po then had a whole new idea. He was getting over-excited. "Do you have invisibility? Oh please please please show me!"

"Well I don't know about that Po… but here's something we could try."

Tigress tipped a dew-covered leaf into her hand and caught a single droplet. She manipulated it with a series of flowing arm motions. Po caught on, and entered his inner-peace stance. Tigress wasn't as good with the whole water-droplet-thing, but just as she was losing control Po reached in and grabbed it. Po whipped the droplet around his head and rolled it down his arms. All the while there was a sort of resonance in the air, like a high-pitched tuning fork. " You can't ever stop it." Said Po, his eyes closed in concentration. "All you can do is redirect it. Here."

He passed it back to Tigress, and she managed to keep it going pretty well after a bit of struggle. She was a very fast learner.

"Well there you go!" Po said with encouragement.

Tigress smiled. After a few seconds she again passed it back to Po, who started to get fancy. Then Tigress had an idea. She picked up another droplet from the same leaf, and they passed them back and forth in slow flowing motions. It was a very relaxing exercise, and the two of them did not find it hard to coordinate. Then Tigress added another droplet. Po raised an eyebrow. That made things more dicey. They continued like this for ten minutes or so before they were able to get things under control. "Yeah this is awesome.." said Po, though his voice was restrained to a very reserved tone. Tigress smirked. _ It is awesome, isn't it? _ Inner Peace techniques of this caliber required intense concentration, not leaving room for much verbal communication.

Their movements needed to be perfectly in sync, much like a juggling act. Their arms whipped around each other, little droplets zinging around. They were getting close. _ "A little too close"_ thought Po as Tigress's hand brushed a droplet off of his shoulder.

The dance between Tiger and Panda intensified in the center of the little clearing. Tigress's hand snaked out and grabbed yet another droplet off of the dew-covered leaf. "_What was she doing? She can never stop challenging herself!" _ Po's brow was furrowed in concentration as he tried to keep track of every movement. Both of them put all of their focus on keeping the droplets afloat. What had begun as a slow-paced little exercise was now a mind-bogglingly fast and complicated maneuver. It was quite a sight to see, little droplets ringing through the air, the two of them almost intertwined trying to keep all of them afloat. They moved as a being with four arms and four legs, better than any sort of choreography could produce. Tigress rolled over Po's back, then under his arms. If they got any closer they would become one. It was almost as if they would touch souls. Their eyes suddenly shot wide open as they realized what was going on. Tigress's nose was not a centimeter away from Po's. The moment was more than a little awkward, and everything was dropped.

Tigress was the first to recover, stepping aside and turning away to hide a furious blush. "I… I was too focused to pay attention. Apologies. " _But didn't that feel incredible? _

Po was staring ahead into space. _How close had they come to… _ he pushed the thought out of mind and decided to do some damage control. He whistled then said "Hey! No big deal!. I was in the zone too, if you know what I mean. It was good practice anyway. Let's just maybe stick with two next time."

Things like this had happened before when they trained, just never that bad. It was sort of inevitable when sparring, and Po knew the awkwardness would soon subside.

"Agreed. Now I could try to show you that trick from before, if you'd like." said Tigress calmly.

Po clapped his hands together. "All right!"

Tigress spent the next hour explaining the basics to Po. After a bit of practice Po could create the most basic of illusions. It was hilarious watching such a large and clumsy figure turn into thin air. What had come naturally to her would take Po weeks, it seemed. Tigress didn't hide the fact that she liked this. She would always have the edge on Po when it came to sneaking, it seemed.

The two of them then walked back to the Palace for dinner, after a well-spent late afternoon.

* * *

As the sun set that night Shifu found himself lost in thought under the great peach tree. He was going there more and more to meditate. There were dozens of perfectly peaceful and scenic locations around the Jade Palace, but for some reason he was always drawn here. Perhaps it was because he missed Oogway. He felt somehow closer to his old master here. He looked up at the still-budding branches of the tree. "_Blooming a little late this year?"_ Shifu thought. Then Shifu's eyes traveled down to the ground beside the tree. There was now a little sapling where he had forcefully planted a peach seed last fall.

"_But a peach cannot defeat Tai Lung!"_

"_Maybe it can…. If you nurture it…. Believe in it. Promise me you will believe Shifu…" _

When he was gone, would Po be the one in his place? Oogway had left every inclination. He would have to get the palace arborist to graft some of the older tree's branches onto the sapling. Shifu looked at the little metal box in his hands. Did he dare open it yet?

"Father?"

Shifu jolted, then turned to face Tigress. She was holding a tea tray.

Shifu looked at her in wonder, his head tilted slightly. "It's been a long time since someone surprised me like that…."

His eyes went wide as realization hit him. "You did it…" Tigress grinned from ear to ear.

The red panda was a bundle of excitement. "I knew you'd figure it out! Oh I'm so proud of you! Not even half my age and you've found peace! There are so many things I could show you!" Shifu caught himself before he got carried away. "But let's not let that tea get cold. Come. Sit down." He patted the ground beside him. Tigress poured the tea before happily obliging.

Shifu picked up his cup. His curiosity quickly got the better of him. "Now be honest, did Po have anything to do with it?"

Tigress laughed "He did! But not on purpose, of course."

"He rarely does anything on purpose." Mocked Shifu.

"It's good you two are getting along now. Remember that first month at the palace?"

Tigress rubbed a temple. "That was more my fault than anything."

Shifu continued " And through it all Po still remained a fan! You know he used to ask me why you hated him so much. "

Tigress found this interesting. "Hmm?"

Shifu tried to do an impersonation of Po, but it was hard for someone usually so austere. He wasn't even close to getting the voice right, but he cupped his hands to the side of his face in a dreamy manner for effect.

"_She totally hates my guts! It's killing me Shifu_. _I mean, she's like my hero!_"

Shifu couldn't help but chuckle. Then he caught himself. He pointed at her sternly.

"Don't tell him I said that."

Tigress smirked. "He wouldn't mind at all. You saw the toys? The poster he had us autograph? Po is a total fanatic. If it wasn't so adorable it'd be creepy."

Shifu raised an eyebrow at this. "Adorable?"

_How did I let that one slip?_

Tigress gave him a pretend-disgusted look. Shifu was perturbed, but wisely decided not to tease her for the choice of words. "Well he's improved his act considerably since you started whipping him into shape. I've decided to let him help set up the Kung-Fu exhibit next time." Shifu also thought "_And he's whipped her into shape too!" _

"You can't be serious. He just ruined the last one!" Exclaimed Tigress.

"But imagine if that enthusiasm could be funneled into something constructive!

I'm sure he said he found the missing scrolls today?"

Tigress was surprised. "No, actually."

"Yes! I've already sent Zheng to the Imperial City with the news. Po did it all by himself. I know It's hard to see past the Po we know, but we have to remind ourselves he's the Dragon Warrior as well. Heh… now that I think about it he may actually have a better knowledge of Kung-Fu history than I do." Shifu rubbed his beard in thought.

Tigress remembered that moment in Gongmen Bay, when Po stood alone facing a storm of fire and metal. And that time Po had the guts to face the most feared Kung-Fu warrior in the history of the Valley. Underneath the guise of a dumb panda was the bravest and most selfless person she had ever known.

Tigress and Shifu sipped at their tea as the sun sank below the mountains, painting the clouds tints of pink and purple.

"You know what?" Said Tigress. "You're right. He should set up the gallery."

Shifu smiled. "I knew you'd come around!"

He poured himself another cup of tea. Tea was such a wonderful excuse for quality conversation!

"While we are on the subject, how about the two of you train with me tomorrow? Now that I'm not busy searching for those damned scrolls, I don't really have much to do. I was going to help Po improve his inner peace technique anyway. How splendid that I could teach you at the same time!"

Tigress hid her dislike for the idea. She figured it wouldn't be so bad as long as it was short-term. Shifu, as Po would say, was often "an enemy of fun." She had vivid recollections of her misery when Shifu had last trained her. Po's antics were starting to warm up on her, and she didn't know if she could go back to only having serious training sessions. Besides, training with Po was the reason she had progressed so far to begin with.

"What about the rest of the five?" Tigress asked.

"They will understand. You have always been a bit beyond their level, and Po is the Dragon warrior."

"I'm looking forward to it." Tigress said, putting on a false smile.

**It took a while to write this chapter, not only because of school but because I had to let some ideas about the story marinate. I've got it planned out enough now that I know it will be finished, so no worries. There will be at least a couple more chapters. Yes, you can tell from the first chapter that at the beginning I had grand visions of a twenty-chapter story, but it would have followed a path too well trodden. It may have even been one of those nasty stories with invincible all-seeing badguys that kill main characters and produce endless drama pulls. Like the others It would have been abandoned after forty-thousand words, leaving a smoking hole through the reader's heart. I would never do that do you guys. Too many promising KFP fics end up like that. Thanks for being patient! **

**Those are the only two songs that are going in this fic, so don't worry. I'm usually not a fan of songs in any story, even the **_**Redwall**_** series. (I used to read those books all the time as a kid) But I'm starting to appreciate that they have their place, and have stopped skipping pages whenever I see them The first one is part of one of my songs, and the second one is a rip from **_**The Hobbit**_** by J.R.R. Tolkien that inspired the first. Basically when you're hiking alone and haven't seen anybody for a week singing suddenly becomes very pleasant. Especially in areas crawling with bears. I'm serious. **

** It's probably a bit obvious who the traveler is, I'm not really trying to make it a surprise. And in case people think hiking twenty miles a day isn't realistic for someone of that figure… I've seen big guys do more than that. I met a man on the Pacific Crest trail (The one that goes from Mexico to Oregon) who was doing 35 mile days in mountainous terrain. He had been at it for a few weeks. **_**35 miles a day!**_** What a Beast! He was jogging down the trail when I saw him, with a fifteen pound pack. He would run into a supply depot every few days or so. I'm sure most of that weight was peanut butter and pita bread. He's probably one of those nutcases that runs the 100-mile Death Valley ultra-marathon. If you want to learn about ultra-runners a better thing to be reading right now would be **_**Born to Run**_** by Christopher Mcdogall. That book totally changed my perspective on foot travel and what the human body is capable of. It's awesome. Read it. **

**Anyway I got a ton of fat and awesome reviews on the last chapter, and that got me to pick this story up again. Thanks a bunch for that! Seriously, giving a long and thoughtful review to an inexperienced fanfiction author is giving a starving man food from a five-star restaurant! And though I'm definitely starving for reviews, I make sure to savor every bite. **

**Although to push the metaphor a bit I guess I'd appreciate being given short but well-meaning reviews too. (the moldy tomatoes from the soup kitchen). I'll shut up now. **


	7. Chapter 5: A Fork in the Road

**Dear readers (and especially followers),**

**I totally had to drop this project for a bit to focus on school. But now I'm back. Thanks so much for your patience! Without further ado, **

** Chapter five: A fork in the road.**

* * *

The "Old Sow" was a popular inn at a crossroads some thirty li from the Valley of Peace. It was a place to meet both old friends and interesting travelers alike, as it was really the only place that served hot food in the area. Granted, it didn't serve very good food, but the food wasn't exactly bad either. Perhaps it was somewhere in that gray area between "okay" and "mediocre." The place got good business anyway, especially on rainy nights.

On this night in particular it was raining sheets.

Just hours before it had been warm and humid, unusual for the time of year. Everyone that had been outside had suddenly been caught in the open wearing summer clothes, and so had taken refuge in the inn. Inside there was a fire going, and lots of company. The board games, tiles, and drinks were taken out as people came in to wait out the sudden downpour. A traveling trio of musicians claimed a corner of the large dining area next to the fireplace, and set down a basket for donations. In no time they had a little jig going and it helped raise the mood. A rabbit played a small bamboo flute, while a goat played the erhu (chinese version of the violin), and an antelope did the vocals.

In no time tables were re-arranged and the room was almost packed. The innkeeper and his wife, of course, were fully prepared and had food ready to go. There was a bar on one side of the room where the patrons would get their food and drink, and behind this bar was the kitchen. The innkeeper was a pig named Han, and he could always tell when it was going to rain somehow. Everyone who went to the inn always wondered how Han knew. He gave them different answers, sometimes saying it was his knee, or that he could "smell it." Whatever it was there was always a pot of soup going when the rain came.

After everyone had their food and the fire was stoked, Han went back behind the bar table. He dipped a cloth in oil and wiped the bar with a loving polish. He did this twice a day. Over the years this habit had given the wood a luster as if it had been triple coated in the finest shellac. Of course under that polish there were flaws, but they had become decorative. That bar had seen its share of nicks, chips, drunkard skulls, and even swords, but it came out none the worse. The whole inn, not just the bar, had a broken-in character like that. Everyone liked it, more so than if it had been neat and clean. In fact when Han changed anything, like the cups, people complained. He didn't dare change the recipe to the soup.

Travelers not looking forward to camping out in the rain entered every few minutes. They would meet with other animals and talk about their adventures. Every face was more or less familiar to Han, and he gave a greeting to everybody on their way through the door. "Hey! Wutz-he! Long time no see!"

"On another delivery Feng?" "I remember you! From Goungdou right?, have a drink!"

Han knew everybody that came through these parts. He could remember a name and a face forever. Even when he didn't know a person, he could usually tell what they were up to. Usually.

A big, broad figure wrapped in a travel-stained green cloak came through the doorway. His face was covered by a large hood. He had a huge war-hammer and pack strapped to his back. Not that Han was intimidated. No, he had run the _Old Sow _ long enough to have pretty much seen it all.

"_Hmm… don't know too many guys that big. Couldn't be Fu… he's dead. Not Weng… this guy's too tall for that." _Han thought as he rubbed his chin. A lot of folks noticed Han's hesitation and turned to look at the stranger. Hopefully this wouldn't mean trouble. Everyone stole a glance as the mysterious newcomer removed his hood.

He… he was a…. Panda? The jolly music abruptly stopped and a rabbit accidently dropped a cup of tea. It shattered on the floor.

There was only one panda anyone had ever heard about in these parts, but on closer inspection this guy obviously wasn't the Dragon Warrior, despite some resemblance. Han thought back to the first day he started running the inn. When he reflected, he realized that he had never seen a panda roll through his business. "_Well that's odd._"

The panda cleared his throat and looked around the room awkwardly. Everyone suddenly realized they were being incredibly rude, and so resumed what they were doing before. The music started playing again, and there was something new to talk about at every table.

"Terribly sorry about that sir, nobody means anything bad by that. I'm sure some folks thought you were the Dragon warrior, seeing as there aren't many pandas around."

Han winced inwardly. He wished he had instead said something about not greeting him by name, or that he was carrying a nasty-looking hammer.

The panda didn't seem to mind much. He glanced down at the pig, then towards the fireplace.

"What can I get for ya?

"Something hot and cheap, and a lot of it please."

Han chuckled. "You came to the right place buddy, it's always soup night here. An eight-piece will get you a couple big bowls of soup and rice.

The panda flipped a coin over to the pig, who deftly caught it between his hooves and gave it a close inspection. The pig squinted.

"Now where in the world did you get a Zhu coin? They haven't minted these things for decades!"

"_This guy's got a good story to tell.." thought Han. _

The panda swore under his breath and his stomach grumbled rather loudly.

"It's the only kind of coin I've got at the moment, can you take it?"

The corner of the pig's mouth twisted into a grin. Oh yeah, he would totally get a story out of this one. No more Mr. Mysterious. He was supposed to know everybody.

"Sure." Han said, pocketing the coin. "These things have practically become collector's items since they started melting them down. I'll even throw in another bowl of soup!"

The panda breathed a sigh of relief. He was getting really sick of moldy rice and sprouted beans. He certainly didn't relish the idea of sleeping outside in the rain either.

The Pig turned around and gave a shout to the kitchen. "Hey Mei! Triple order! We've got a hungry customer."

* * *

Out in the courtyard, in front of the training hall, Po was wrapping up his kung-fu class. All of the little bunnies were stretching in all sorts of uncomfortable-looking ways. Po kept an eye on them to make sure no one was over-doing it.

After the (very) surprising success of his first kung-fu class, Po was given free-reign by Shifu to organize the classes himself. The only rules were that he had to have class at least once a week, could not change students, and the bunnies had to submit to completely unannounced examinations by Shifu. Shifu would sometimes jump in at the end of each session and demand one of the bunnies to do a move or answer a question.

All of this had started several months ago when Shifu had gathered the most enthusiastic children in the Valley and secretly organized a kung-fu class. He hadn't even told Po he was supposed to be teaching the class. Po only found that out when Shifu led him to one of the main courtyards and left him alone with about a dozen overactive little bunnies. The idea had been to have Po fail miserably so he could learn from the experience and put together an effective plan for future classes. Shifu had returned to the courtyard fifteen minutes later, expecting to have to take over the class. Po, however, seemed to be really good at teaching Kung-Fu, and was obviously getting along. In fact, Po had been doing great. When Shifu had first tried to teach young bunnies Kung-Fu they usually fell asleep after fifteen minutes. Shifu was so strict they didn't dare misbehave, but they had a hard time staying focused. For some reason this never happened when Po was teaching. Po was just so darn good with little kids! Shifu couldn't help but be a little confused by this but as with many similar situations he would just shrug and say "I suppose he _is_ the Dragon Warrior."

One of the little bunnies was trying to do a full split on a rack from the training hall, and was having a pretty hard time. Po loved to see such enthusiasm. "_In no time they would be a crack team of fearsome cotton-tailed Kung-Fu warriors_!" Po thought excitedly. The bunny fell off the rack, and a couple of other bunnies also toppled over from the stretches they had been doing. "_Okay, maybe a bit longer than 'no time,' but it'll happen." _

"Master Po! Why do we have to do all this stretching again?" Whined the little bunny that fell off the stretching rack.

Po made a look of mock-surprise, then said "Why you ask? Stretching is even more important than punching!"

The little bunnies were confused by this. Po gently righted one of the toppled bunnies. "Don't you guys want to do the splits? Or do all that crazy stuff Master Monkey does?" Monkey happened to be taking a break outside the training hall, and hearing his name mentioned he put both his feet behind his head for effect. He cracked a goofy smile and the little bunnies laughed.

"But Master Po, stretching hurts, and it's no fun!" Said another bunny on the stretching rack. "Also, I think I'm stuck."

Po put his hands on his hips, leaning over the bunny on the stretching rack. "Well no pain no gain! Or how would Grand Master Shifu say it?" Po paused for a moment, then tried to do a good impression of Shifu. The bunnies always liked this. He stood up straight and assumed a lecturing composure. "The more flexible you are, the more pain you can withstand. The more pain you can withstand, the more you can train. The more you can train, the faster you can progress… do you see where I'm going here?" Po waved his hand, as if asking for a response. The bunnies had horrified looks on their faces. The whole gain thing was great, but not if it involved any pain. One of them spoke up "And the faster you can progress, the better the Kung-Fu master you will be…"

Po pointed at the bunnies "You got it!"

The little bunnies looked at each other for a moment, before starting to stretch with renewed enthusiasm. In fact they had a little too much enthusiasm. The bunny that had been stuck on the stretching rack was making a face as if he was constipated. Another bunny was getting a friend to yank his arms behind him in a very painful looking way. Still others were trying to put their feet behind their heads, or bend their spines backward.

Po turned and gave monkey a thumbs up for his help. Monkey did a little wave of his hand as if to say "anytime." A palace servant gave Monkey a bowl of rice and he began to eat it. He propped himself up on his tail for added effect.

After a couple more minutes of stretching Po addressed the class. "Well that's all I had planned today, but I've got some official Dragon Warrior business to attend to. You guys know how it is." All of the little bunnies pouted.

"Aww come on Master Po!"

Po held up his hands. "But hey! You guys did awesome! In fact, you may almost be ready to handle - (Here Po leans over and whispers dramatically, while wiggling his fingers)

- The _Dragon Scroll." _ The little bunnies' eyes grew wide with awe. Little Lee-bunny in back raised a hand. "But I thought only the Dragon Warrior was supposed to read the scroll?"

Po waved his hand dismissively. "Naah! I can totally show whoever I want. Wait, I mean… whoever I think is worthy enough t-"

Po was interrupted by a sudden giggle from Monkey. He shot Monkey a death glare. Monkey abruptly stopped and gave a mock-serious face. Monkey knew Po had shown at least a dozen people, including himself the scroll, but he didn't want to ruin it for the bunnies.

"He's not kidding. Po almost couldn't show me the scroll." Said Monkey, barely retaining his composure.

The bunnies were once again awed. "Woah…"

Po continued speaking. " So keep up the good work you guys, and practice at home! That's totally it for today, unless you grasshoppers have any questions?"

Po regretted saying that last part even as it came out of his mouth.

Instantly there was a cacophony of little bunny voices. Like any eager crowd some raised their hands while others just blurted out their questions as if everyone was listening. "Geez! I can only handle one at a time! C'mon now settle down!

If you've got a question raise your hand and I might pick you!"

There was silence. Po gave a smirk of approval. "Better!"

He then pointed to a bunny in the back. "How about you Wan?"

"Can we watch you and Monkey fight again?!" Instantly most of the hands dropped. It was a popular question!

Po raised an eyebrow. "Hah! Sorry but Monkey's got to get back inside the training hall soon, and we totally did that last week. " Po spoke out of the corner of his mouth " 'sides, I'd totally kick his - OWW!" Monkey had thrown his Jo staff at Po, much to everyone's amusement. Po turned around to see monkey with an indignant expression, eating his rice.

"Next question!"

"Can we go inside the training hall and watch the five practice?"

"Sorry guys, it's way too dangerous and awesome in there. Also we wouldn't want to distract the five like last time, though they totally think you're cool and everything." Po vividly recollected how close one of the bunnies had gotten to the field of fire. He shuddered involuntarily as he imagined scorched little rabbits. _  
_

"One more question today! Then we gotta split! How about you Bedu?" Po said to one of the bunny-girls.

"What's that awesome thing you did with Tigress that other day, the thing on the posters in town?" Little Bedu asked. Obviously she had witnessed the recent bandit attack.

Po was highly amused. He was pretty sure he knew what Bedu was talking about, but pretended not to guess. He crossed his arms and grinned. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific. We happen to do a lot of awesome things, so it's hard to tell exactly what you mean." Some of the bunnies in the back of the group started grinning wildly.

Bedu grabbed the bunny closest to her and started doing something that looked like a one-handed ring-around–the rosy, colliding with other bunnies in a hilarious fashion. "You know! That crazy dance-thingy!" All of the other bunnies laughed.

Po decided to answer her question. "Hah! That my long-eared friend is the incredible Double-time technique! It doubles the range and power of attacks and allows for stupendously seamless cooperation between two fantastically-bodacious Kung-Fu warriors."

Now more hands shot up. Po waved them down "Hey I thought I said one more question?" The bunnies just stood there. "Fine! But now this is the last one. "

Po pointed at one of the bunnies again. "Your turn Heyin!"

"Who invented Double-time? I've read about things like it, but nothing like you and Tigress can do."

Po rubbed his chin pensively. "Well the five have been doing stuff sort of like it for a while, but I think it all started when Tigress threw me or something. It just kind of happened I guess."

Another bunny piped up. "Can you guys show us?" Other bunnies joined in the chorus.

Po gave an exasperated sigh. Then hushed them down a bit. "I'm sure Tigress would love to give a little demonstration, but she's a little busy inside the training hall right now." Now the grins turned into giggles.

Po was surprised at this, and gave a mild scolding. "Hey! She is so totally busy! Tigress trains longer and harder than anybody and that's a fact. I know you guys love having her around. I'm a big fan too. But I'm sure if she had time to spare, she'd be out here already."

The bunnies burst out laughing. Now Po was a little disgruntled. He leaned over. "What's so darn funny about that?" Po followed their eyes over his shoulder, and much to his surprise Tigress was standing beside him.

Po cleared his throat awkwardly. "Oh…"

The laughter was beginning to reach a crescendo.

"Sup Tigress?"

Tigress shook her head and grinned.

Po narrowed his eyes " You know you could have said something."

"Not a chance, but yes, I'd love to give a little demonstration." She held out her hand. Po ignored it, and looked at the position of the sun as if to gauge the time.

"Thanks for the offer Master Tigress, but it's a bit late. Besides, I haven't been feeling so great today, woke up on the wrong side of the bed if y'nnow what I mean. These tikes have gotta get going too." Po turned towards the bunnies again.

The class whined and Tigress rolled her eyes. Po was about to dismiss the bunnies when Tigress suddenly vaulted him up in the air. "what are y -AAAAAAAHHHH!"

The little bunnies cheered Tigress on. "Yaaay!"

In midair Po figured he might as well play along. He could tell what move Tigress was thinking of. As he came down Po grabbed her arm and she swung him horizontally. In midswing he raised his foot into a kick. There was nothing but air to hit, but the power of the blow was obvious. As Po sped along the ground he pulled Tigress behind him. When he touched down he ducked. Tigress rolled over his shoulders and gave a couple stylish kicks of her own. Po then swung Tigress above him and they replicated the position from the posters in town. One of Po's hands was open and out to the side, striking an imaginary opponent. For style he stood on one leg. His other hand supported an upside-down Tigress, who had her legs splayed in a fantastic double-kick.

The little bunnies went wild. Po then put Tigress down. "Well, are we all happy now? I'll see you next week! And don't forget to practice!" The little bunnies dispersed.

Po then looked over at Tigress. "They're really starting to like you. Even more than Monkey, and they go nuts when he shows up."

Tigress watched the bunnies filter out of the courtyard with a somewhat contented look on her face. Her arms crossed as was typical. "Heh! So I've heard."

_He's just so cute when he's embarrassed... I should do this even more often. _

Of course Po was embarrassed, to say the least. _You're a real smooth guy there Po! Why don't you just ask if she wants to play with your action figures? _

"Well maybe you should consider teaching a class or two?" Po said, in an attempt to draw attention away from his blunder.

"Nice idea. I'll see if I have any openings next week. I can't make any guarantees of course, seeing as I have to _train_ so hard." Tigress said mockingly.

_How great it feels to rub things in!_

Po pointed his finger at her.

"You've won this round, but I'll put you in your place soon enough!"

Tigress inspected her claws nonchalantly, as if completely unworried. "I'm quaking in fear."

Intimidating Tigress was simply not an easy thing to do.

The last of the bunnies had disappeared down the thousand steps. Po sighed in relief.

"Well there goes responsibility! I'm going to grab some lunch. You want me to pick something up for you?"

"No, thank you. Actually I came over here to tell you Master Shifu would like us to meet with him on the west path."

Po looked confused. " You mean 'us' as in the five or 'us' as in…"

"Us." Said Tigress flatly.

"Oh ho ho…. I get it. Inner Peace club only! Is there at least time for me to get something to eat?"

Tigress assumed a rather deadpan expression, then turned and started walking away. Po's shoulders dropped in disappointment. Tigress paused a moment. " I'll tell him you're on your way."

Po fist-pumped while dashing off towards the kitchen. "You're the best!"

Tigress smirked at this, taking her time walking out of the palace. "_He's just too easy to please."_

Grandmaster Shifu patiently waited for his students just outside the Jade palace. On either side of the path were lush grasses and flowers, wet from the previous night's rain. He felt more eager than usual to get to work. Teaching, after all, had really become his passion. Shifu gained immense satisfaction from seeing his students improve as dramatically as they had. And to know that Po and soon Tigress would in turn have their own students to teach felt truly wonderful.

It was as if he was taking the best of himself and making it immortal, inheritable. He would live on through the fists and minds of generations to come, just as he was a reincarnation of those previous. Oogway and his old friends were not so far away after all. As long as Shifu held the thought he leapt up on his master's old peachwood staff, doing a handstand on one of its forks. "_Though somehow I can't imagine Po doing something like this." _

Shifu had the perfect lesson planned for the afternoon, one that would show Po and Tigress how to drive their own studies. After all, good teaching was really just giving students the resources and encouragement to teach themselves. Shifu could demonstrate, encourage, and explain, but in the end the student had to hone their own mind, muscle, and spirit. This became even more obvious when instructing prodigies like Po and Tigress. Po learned in jumps and leaps. He learned quickly because of his enthusiasm, creativity, and dumb luck. Although perhaps the dumb luck had a lot to do with Po's destiny as the Dragon warrior. It really put Po in a league of his own, and it was completely unfair to students that had dedicated their entire lives to the study of Kung-Fu. _"Although he had basically studied Kung-Fu his entire life in his own fashion…." _Thought Shifu.

Tigress, on the other hand, was so successful because of her grim determination, will (or perhaps stubbornness?) wits, and her Tiger nature.

Together his two star students would theoretically make the perfect student (if there was such a thing.) Certainly this was why they trained so well together. And by some miracle they actually got along.

Shifu sighed dreamily. As he got older the Palace would fall into their capable hands. He would be free to publish his writings and spend his days in meditation and study. What a life! The Old Red Panda flipped right side up and stood on the tip of the peachwood staff as he often did.

The path that Shifu stood on started at the West gate of the palace. It crossed a rolling meadow, which was a sharp contrast to the steep terrain of the palace. Actually Shifu always wondered why the Jade Palace was built in such a ridiculously rugged place. It was nestled between sheer Jade peaks, and the foundations for many of the buildings had to be hewn out of the mountainside. If that wasn't enough, most of the areas facing the Valley of Peace were jagged cliffs. It was probably because the location was the only spot that overlooked the entire Valley and all of the ways into it.

After the meadow the west path split into three other paths. All of these paths led to rugged and scenic destinations that were perfect for meditation or training. Each headed in one compass direction, and each went through drastically different terrain. The north path wound up and around the jagged and rocky areas that over-looked the river Sen (the one that flowed through the Valley). This path eventually descended to the riverside, and connected with a main road that went through town. The South fork of the trail curved through untouched and ancient groves of trees, and crossed many small creeks. After ten li it ended in a junction with even more trails. The West fork of the path, longest of all, led a couple more Li through grassy meadows. It then descended slightly, before taking a sharp climb up to the Alpine areas far west of the Palace. It connected far and wide with other trails that explored the Jade Mountains, and had been a favorite haunt of Oogway's. There were many destinations down this way, including the pool of sacred tears. As most travelers found it easier to go around the Jade mountains than over them, solitude in these areas was almost guaranteed. One had to be careful to control his sightseeing, or they would wander for weeks. _"And that's what I hope to do!" _ concluded Shifu as he fondly considered his options for the future.

One of Shifu's ears twitched as he sensed a presence. He looked towards the palace and saw Tigress walking down the path. Her face was somewhat devoid of expression as usual. Shifu adjusted his robe slightly. She quietly walked up beside him, bowing slightly. "Master."

The corner of Shifu's mouth lifted slightly in amusement. Old habits did die hard, it seems. He supposed it was only proper that she refer to him as "Master" during training.

"Po is on his way."

"And I assume his Kung-Fu class went well?"

"He surprises me every time. He still hasn't even had so much as an absence. The bunnies practically worship him."

"Any perfect splits today?"

Tigress smirked. "Not yet, give it another week. Though I wonder how Po did it so fast. As I remember it took me two weeks when I threw myself at it."

"You had a high tolerance for pain for someone your age. Yes, I do wonder how Po managed to do a split in three days. I'm sure he had practiced before. Yet… I can't shake the suspicion that when we found him on the racks that one morning he had been stuck there all night."

They both chuckled in fond remembrance.

"Ah! There he is at last!" Po was running out from the west gate at a steady trot, scoffing a few bean buns at the same time. He waved to Shifu and Tigress, almost tripping in the process and looking like an idiot (again).

"It's hard not to be awed by his presence." Tigress remarked sarcastically.

Shifu raised an eyebrow at this. "I like to think he does it on purpose, so that his enemies make the critical mistake of underestimating him."

"Of course."

"Well let's start walking. The place I have in mind for today is not far.

It wasn't long before Po caught up. "Hey guys! Great day huh? Can't wait to get started!"

"Welcome, Dragon Warrior, glad you managed to make it." Shifu tried hard to address Po politely, regardless of how ridiculous he sometimes acted.

"I heard classes are going well…. "

"You betcha! I've got them stretching twice at the beginning and end of practice, then twice a day at home! They'll be ready for some serious moves in no time. I was thinking we'd finish up some more basics next week, then move on to some throws or something. But what are _we _doing today? _We _as in _us _and not the rest of the five?"

"You'll soon see, and I'm sure the other masters will too someday."

Patience was not Po's strong suite, but he would try for now. He didn't want to spoil the whole Inner Peace club thing. Not that Shifu would even think of calling it that.

The trio walked to the fork of the trails and took the north path. In ten minutes they were winding between jagged rock spires and large boulders. Soon the path was hemmed in on both sides between walls of stone. It was as if they had entered a labyrinth of sorts, being hemmed in as they were. The walls were of metamorphic rock, intermixed with large fragments of jade. Water trickled over the walls, and over time this had polished the pieces of jade so that they shone. Here and there large patches of moss covered the walls, or tangles of vines completely covered them. The path was sufficiently wide, but this still gave a somewhat claustrophobic effect. As they kept walking the large woody vines of a strangler fig created a canopy between the rock walls. This made a tunnel of sorts, and created a base for even more plants to grow over the expanse. Ripe kiwis hung down from the fig branches overhead, as if the branches were an arbor built expressly for that purpose. Soon the foliage grew even more intense.

Po was getting pretty excited, sure that they were headed for some sweet mystical Kung-Fu destination. It was super-top secret of course, and so could not be discussed in the open! He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

As the group kept walking the tunnel grew smaller and smaller, darker and darker. Now all of the light could be seen coming from up ahead. A metallic sound could be heard getting louder and louder. "Clang! Thud!" Then there was the sound of gravel rolling down a hill.

The foliage was almost blocking the path when suddenly the three were thrust into broad daylight. The tunnel was behind them and now the trail was cut out of a mountainside. It was a really steep slope, and the area around the trail was all covered in broken bits of rock. Just ahead a lot of large boulders blocked the path. There was a team of servants from the Jade palace hard at work trying to break the big boulders apart with picks.

Shifu spoke: "This part of the path always gets hit by rock-falls. But luckily this is actually our destination."

Po couldn't help but be a bit disappointed.

Noticing their presence, the foreman of the workers (a goose) respectfully addressed Shifu. "Grandmaster Shifu, I apologize that we have not yet cleared last night's rock-fall. Some of the boulders are very large."

"Perfect! Actually my students and I have come to take care of this. You and your men may take the rest of the day off if you'd like."

The goose looked perplexed, but knew better than to question the Grandmaster of Kung-Fu. He bowed low to Shifu. Then he signaled his team to collect their tools and get ready to leave."

The servants had worked since that morning, and were exhausted. They sat on some rocks above the path, picks and spades across their laps.

Shifu turned to Po and Tigress. They, more than the servants were confused. Po was the only one showing it, his grand visions shattered.

"Both of you have made great, no unprecedented, strides in your training. You are the youngest Masters to have found inner peace. It's made me quite proud." He let his students bask in this praise for a moment. "But, as with many new discoveries, Inner Peace opens the doorways to many more mysteries. It may have been one of the last things Oogway taught me, but it is certainly not the capstone to Kung-Fu."

Shifu's pupils shared looks of surprise.

"Indeed! It is just the next level of understanding. You should have guessed that by now. This is unknown to most masters, because they rarely live long enough to further develop their Inner Peace. But here you have a rare opportunity! You two are young. You will have many years to walk this path. For the most part you will have to guide yourselves. Oogway never wrote down his discoveries past this crucial point, even though it was the subject of most of his work.

All I can do is give you examples of how to think, how to approach the problems you may face. It will take everything you've got to even begin to understand the flow of the universe. " Shifu paused for a few moments, before continuing:

"What we are going to do today is actually pretty easy, compared to what you've accomplished already."

Shifu gestured towards a particularly large boulder. "We are going to undo stone."

Some of the servants perked up as they heard this. They whispered to each other excitedly.

Po was flabberghasted "You're kidding!? Tigress couldn't even bust a rock that big and she can practically punch anything!" Tigress couldn't help but blush lightly from this flattery. Why was Po so good at that?

Shifu laughed "Hah! So says the panda that redirected cannon-fire!"

Po stuttered "That was different…"

"Although it was an overstatement to say anything is possible with inner peace, much is. Inner peace, as you know, is an understanding, a sort of awareness, of the mechanisms of the universe. The name of the technique references the internal struggle to gain this awareness. It can be applied to any problem. I'll give you a couple examples."

Shifu turned, facing the boulder.

"How do you think a turtle as old as Oogway could defeat Tai Lung, or do a handstand with one finger? It certainly wasn't raw strength." Po and Tigress wondered.

"You say that stone cannot be undone, but then how did these boulders get here?"

"They, uh… fell?" Suggested Po.

"Well why'd they fall?"

"Cus they were high up? I donno." Po shrugged.

Tigress knew better than to answer before thinking. "There was a rainstorm last night?"

Shifu smiled. "Now we are getting somewhere. But why does rain undo stone?"

Now Tigress shrugged. "I don't know.. I just associate the two."

"Most people do that. It takes a lot of watching and waiting to know the reasons behind water's victory. There are a few reasons water undoes stone.

Shifu pointed uphill where the rockfall had exposed some tree roots.

"Plants have a part in this too, but water is the final blow. Water is persistent. It wears away at the rocks bit by bit over the eons. Plant roots cram themselves into every crevice of rocks to search for water, wedging the stone apart by its weaknesses. When the water freezes, it expands and forces the rocks apart. When it rains the roots swell from the water and cause the rocks to burst. Imagine that! Stone undone by mere roots! Crumbled by something as yielding as water!

Everyone looked up at the roots with a new respect.

Shifu continued: " So surely our fingers can perform the same feat. We need to be like the roots and water, and find the right weaknesses. "

Shifu suddenly whipped around and struck the solid boulder with his fingertips. There was a great flash of light, spider-webbing throughout the boulder. It flew into bits.

The foreman and his crew ran off with yelps of fright. Po and Tigress just stood in awe.

"Funny, I could do this before I learned much else, before I even knew I was close to finding peace. This was really just to show you new ways of thinking."

Po held a hand to his cheek, and pointed the other where the rock used to be. "That… was cool."

"Indeed. And now it's your turn to try."

"Are you kidding? I can't even punch trees yet!"

"This is not about how hard you hit. You feel for the weaknesses in the stone, and direct your energy exclusively to those areas."

"Fine."

With a bold swagger Po approached a large boulder. He cracked his knuckles. "Block my path will you?" He wound up for a strike.

Shifu held back his hand using the end of his staff.

"You might want to get into your stance and focus, that is if you don't want to break your fingers."

"Right."

Po went through his Inner Peace motions, getting into the zone he was starting to get to know very well. He was about to strike again, when Shifu interrupted his motion again.

"You should only strike if you know where the faults are. Really, as entertaining as it would be, I'd rather you don't break something. Besides the rock I mean."

Po was a little annoyed. "Okay I got it. I got it!" Po redid the motions, wound up for the strike, then quickly jabbed the boulder. There was a flash of green light, but only a chunk of the boulder flew off and rolled down the mountainside.

Po massaged his fingers a bit. Yes, rocks are hard!

"Not bad, it takes practice. Tigress?"

Tigress took a good half minute to read the rock, then in a flash it flew apart into several good-sized chunks.

Po rolled his eyes and muttered "show off."

"Excellent! Now you two take care of the rest on the path." Said Shifu.

Po and Tigress got to work, one with a bit less flair then the other.

In an hour or so nothing was on the path but bits of rubble.

Shifu inspected the remains. "A job well done! Now remember, this technique can apply to more than just rocks. Everything has a weakness." Shifu looked at Po rubbing his fingers. "Especially flesh and bone." Po winced, and Shifu continued.

"The nerve-attack is just one play on this technique. With enough skill even one blow could be fatal. As long as we're on the subject…"

Shifu darted towards Po, catching him completely off guard and stunning one of his arms. Shifu almost got both Po's arms, but Po backed off and fixed the first stun quickly. He knew Shifu and Tigress would make him beg Mantis to help him back at the palace, having him do a walk of shame on the way back.

Then Shifu turned his attention to Tigress. She was always on her guard and deflected several blows. Shifu was too crafty to be denied long, however, and he nailed her in the shoulder. She quickly undid the stun. "Good! But Po, you should really be on your guard. At least you are getting the knack of it."

Po cringed and rubbed his shoulder.

"That's all for now. Make this lesson a subject of your meditations."

The three warriors then began to walk back to the palace.

Po began planning out the rest of the day in his mind. He would totally hang out with the five if they weren't already done training for the day. There were some new routines he had planned to try out with them. Then he'd cook a nice dinner for everybody, maybe even sneak off to the hot springs afterwards. This was the life! It was all giggles and sunshine for Po. Maybe tomorrow he'd surprise his dad with a visit; try and convince him into actually taking the day off of work for once. Po imagined what his dad would say now: "_But then who will run the noodle shop? What do you mean close up? I haven't closed the shop in a decade!"_

Yeah. That would totally be fun. Of course Po would be fine just hanging around the shop again like old times. Maybe he would finish clearing the stuff out of his room so his dad could use it for storage.

Shifu took his leave of Po and Tigress as they entered the west gate. He casually mentioned that he might join them for dinner, but may have to meditate late into the night. He walked off towards the peach tree. Po nudged Tigress, saying "Yeah he's totally just gonna come to dinner."

Tigress gave a solid nod. "I've never known anything else that could distract him from his studies. Keep up the good work."

"Will do. Let's check on the rest of the gang."

Po ran up to the training hall. He threw open the big double doors and jumped into the room, instantly adopting a solid fighting stance. " Attack! If you dare!"

It was a new tradition in the Training hall to team up on the last person to enter on a given day. Shifu had noticed all of the interesting new training regimes that Po had created, and had decided to create a few of his own. He knew that this rule would help everyone get to training as early as possible. On days where students couldn't help but come in late, the sparring served as additional practice.

In an instant Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane sped from their previous exercises towards Po. Po could just barely hold his own against the four warriors without Tigress helping them out. He just had to make sure they didn't surround him. This usually meant keeping an eye on Mantis. That sneaky little devil was going overboard with the stunning and would often disable Po's arms. This would turn him into sport for the rest of the five. It was hilarious pushing around a Panda with noodle arms! The spar was over when the late entrant lay flat on the ground. Po backed up into a corner to prevent anyone from getting behind him, but Monkey and Viper had a plan for this. Viper wrapped around Po's left arm like a lasso, while Monkey pulled on her tail. This pried Po out of the corner and into the open, where Crane tripped him with his long legs. Before Po could recover Mantis climbed on his back and stunned his lower body. Po collapsed head first on the wooden floor.

"OWWW! Not the pelvis! UNCLE!" Mantis's 'thingies' could really be painful nerve pinchers. Po tried in vain to find the nerve in the small of his back, poking at it furiously.

Viper laughed joyously. "So falls the great Dragon Warrior!"

Monkey couldn't help but be disappointed. He had looked forward to battling a noodle-legged panda even more than a noodle-armed panda.

Tigress then walked in calmly. "Well that didn't take long. I missed all the fun again didn't I?"

Po propped himself up on his elbows. "Oh ha, ha! One of these days you'll forget to wake up so early and walk in late. "

"Keep telling yourself that Po." She jabbed him in the small of his back so he could stand up again, then helped him to his feet.

"I think we should at least make an exception to the rule on days when I have to teach Kung-Fu classes!"

Viper slithered up to Po with a sweet smile on her face. "Sorry Po. Rules are rules! And this is too much fun! But I'm sure Shifu would change things if you just asked him nicely."

Just then there was a knock on the double doors of the training hall. Everyone turned to see who it was. Shifu would have just walked in, so this had to be a servant or something. One of the doors cracked open, revealing a very nervous-looking palace servant. He cleared his throat loudly, then said "Terribly sorry to interrupt, but a visitor at the front gate has requested to see you, Dragon warrior."

Po rolled his eyes. "How many times has this happened? I can't give everyone autographs on demand. I've got work to do!"

The goose nodded wildly. "Of course! Of course! I would never bother you with such a small matter, but this is different. In fact it's rather important."

Po shared glances with the five. "Who else thinks this smells like a top-secret mission? I say we all head down to the gate pronto."

"Should I go tell Shifu?" Crane asked.

"Not until we're sure what's going on."

With that the warriors of the Jade palace rushed past the servant towards the main courtyard. He muttured something about Po going alone, but the group was already long gone.

"Quietly now!" Said Po, tip-toeing down some steps.

"Why on earth do we have to be quiet?" Asked Mantis.

"We've got to make the impression that we're professionals!" Said Po in an annoyed tone.

"Don't you think that's why they're here in the first place?" Stated Crane matter-of factly.

"Just do it okay?" demanded Po.

Viper tilted her head at Crane, whispering "Just play along, it's always funny."

Without a sound the group descended to the main gate. Po brushed off his chest, then did a quick check to make sure the furious five looked intimidating enough. This earned a good eye-roll from Tigress. Po gently reached forward and slowly pulled open one of the big red doors.

He found himself looking into a pair of oddly familiar jade eyes. There was a long pause, and the furious five shifted around to get a better look at the stranger. It didn't take long for a ghost of a memory to flash through Po's mind. A Panda! Those eyes! It was the same hammer! One word made it past Po's lips before he fainted outright. "Dad?"

* * *

**This chapter was a bit more mellow than the others, it really just served as a sort of 'calm before the storm." There was some development I had considered adding, but decided that it should wait until the next chapter. The next chapter will be the last, the longest, and the best. All this stuff is totally going to come together nicely. The whole Ti/Po thing will finally pan out too. It might be a while before I publish it, but like this chapter it'll get done eventually. ** **Once again I'd love some reviews, suggestions, or whatever. It's always nice to know the work I'm putting into this is appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 6: Unexpected But Not Unwelcome

**A/N: Well it sure took me a while to post another chapter… hope I haven't lost too many readers! Not only have I published late, but I lied! This is so not the last chapter like I thought it would be. If I had made this the last chapter it would have been over twenty-thousand words, and that's just crazy! Be sure to leave a review ; I'm no longer picky about them so say whatever you want. It's weird to have so many followers that haven't even reviewed. I feel cheated!**

**Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter. The next one will be even more awesome, and this one practically counts as two.**

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Chapter 6: Unexpected but not unwelcome.

* * *

Po regained consciousness with a start, and immediately sat upright. He took in his surroundings, only to discover that there somehow were no surroundings. Well, there was a really thick fog all around, if that counts as surroundings. Like, _really_ thick fog; the kind where one might want to find a knife and prove they can cut it like butter. Or was that mist?

Po was not amused. "totally dreaming… nice try brain…" he muttered. Every so often he would realize he was dreaming in a dream. It was actually kind of unpleasant from his point of view, as it almost always ruined the fun and surprise. Good dreaming meant playing along with the dream, and it was hard to play along when you could think normally.

"I better be wearing my pants!" Shouted Po to the fog, as if he could direct his subconscious. He crossed his arms and pouted. He almost didn't want to look down, but he did anyway. To his great relief, they were there. He really didn't think he could handle another dream of him running around the Jade Palace naked. What he really wanted was another dream of him and the five kicking bad-guy-butt, but that was a rare treat. Po's dreams seemed to wander all over the spectrum depending on his mood, and they rarely followed a neat storyline.

The mist cleared a little, and Po noticed he was sitting on a large wooden object. He rapped his knuckles on it, and it made a pleasant hollow sound. Teak maybe? Po had carved enough figurines of the Furious Five to know. It looked a lot like the bow of an overturned boat, and it was slowly sinking. The mist cleared a little more, and Po discovered he was surrounded by water. It was calm, only disturbed by the bobbing of Po and the remains of the boat. It made for a serene scene. The one sound was the gentle lapping of the water. Suddenly a clap of thunder broke the calm! Flashes of light blazed through the mist, and a peal of maniacal laughter rung in the background. The air reeked of sulfur. Streaks of red light whizzed all around Po…

"Oh Not this again!" He cried. "This is like the fifth time I've had this dream! I know how this pans out okay? Shen shoots me in the face, or my arms fall off, or Tigress gets a hole in her chest, or Shen is a zombie, or whatever it's lame!"

The disembodied voice of a Peacock echoed through the mist. "_Here comes his stupid bad-guy monologue…" _thought Po. To his surprise, it sounded disappointed.

"Call off the wolves…. I never get to have any fun…"

It seemed things were actually going Po's way tonight.

"_Well that was unusual." _

The mist kept thinning, and Po soon noticed that he was starting to drift. Or was there a current? He couldn't tell yet. He liked the change of pace however. Maybe this would be a nice dream after all. Perhaps he'd get to outfly Crane, or outsmart Shifu. "_Now that would make it a dream come true!" _

Po could now make out land on either side of him. Was he in a river? The mist was gone; now it was sunny and clear. The water was flowing all around, moving past the shores. Yes, he was definitely in a river. It was very wide and deep, but not fast enough to be dangerous. The current carried Po a minute more, and closer to one of the riverbanks. He could see grass, flowers, and trees beyond the shore.

Then Po heard someone familiar call his name. He looked around before spotting Tigress up ahead. She lay near a great blooming peach tree, smiling and waving him over. She was on a big blanket, and beside her sat a very large bowl of dumplings. There were far too many for one person. In fact there were too many even for two people. Maybe there were just enough for a Panda. Did she want to share? Her fur glowed warmly in the sun, and she seemed overjoyed to see him. It was as if she had been waiting there for him to show up. Tigress patted the blanket next to her, showing him where to lay down.

He caught a sweet smell on the breeze – was she actually wearing perfume?

"_Well if I wasn't sure about this being a dream before, I am now." _ Po thought.

Tigress plucked a dumpling from the bowl with her chopsticks, then flung it into her mouth in a playful fashion. _And that was the only pair of chopsticks_! That sounded like fun to Po, and he liked where this was going. Tigress could see he got the message and purred as she chewed the dumpling. Her tail thrashed back and forth excitedly.

All Po had to do was jump off the hull as it floated by the shore and he'd be in paradise. Here was one of those wonderfully rare dreams- and it was even better than kicking bad-guy-butt.

Po could see it now :they would embrace, talk, fight, give each other tender massages, and eat together in that particular order. And then if Po was really lucky…. "_best not ruin the surprise_!"

The current carried Po closer to the shore.

Imaginary Tigress sunned herself and stretched, then yawned in that adorable way that cats do. Then she sat up straight with her hands in her lap, obviously impatient. She was so at ease, so carelessly tender, so … unlike the actual Tigress.

That thought made Po hesitate. Suddenly the pleasant scene only succeeded in reminding him of the harsh reality. "AAARRRGGGHH! Why did I have to find out I was dreaming!" Po tried to wake up then and there. He would rather go back to the real world then be slowly tortured.

Po stayed on the boat hull as it passed near the shore.

Imaginary Tigress ran towards the shore, and called out to him. "C'mon it's just a little jump!"

"Seems too big for me." Replied Po

"I'm not worth the risk? I wanted to tell you something important, but I'm not going to shout it to you."

Po almost got back into the pretending mood, but he resigned himself to stay on the hull. He also knew better than to shout in dreams, because apparently he talked in his sleep. He could only thank the gods that he had dreamt of food when Monkey had overheard him a couple months before…

Imaginary reached the riverbank, which ended only fifteen feet away from Po. Tigress figured that was as close as she could get. "Well, maybe I will shout it." She suddenly seemed flustered and tried to find some words.

"_Ugh here we go again….._"Po thought.

"It's certainly nothing to be ashamed of! I-"

"You don't, and I'm done pretending you will. " Po interrupted. False Tigress's expression sank.

"What?" She said, surprised.

Po shrugged. "I can't do this anymore. It's just too painful."

"I'm sorry." She said gloomily.

"Don't worry about it. I understand. Besides…you're a lot like my actual best friend." This got a smile from her. "'Speaking of her… I'm totally gonna kick the real tiger's butt tomorrow in the training hall."

"HAH! Who's pretending now?" Joked Tigress,

"_Now that's a little more like the Tigress I know. I totally have to try to stop having these fantasies."_

The boat hull was pushed back into the center of the river by the current. Imaginary Tigress waved goodbye, before fading into the mist again.

The river was flowing much faster now, and the boat hull was getting low in the water. Po had to remind himself this was a dream so he wouldn't panic.

A massive boat suddenly came into view from behind Po. What it was doing on a river, Po had no idea. Not only was the boat huge, but it was fancy to the point of being ridiculous. The timbers were a dark violet color, and the hull was held together with bright copper rivets. The sails shimmered radiant gold in the sun, and the prow was ornately carved with flowers and feathers. There were even portholes along the sides of the boat (fancy for the time period). On the sails and under the prow were the symbols of two feathers and a golden sun- the same crest that had been on Po's giftbox from the emperor.

Above the beautiful square sails, in the crow's nest, the lookout dropped his spyglass in surprise. "Sire! A castaway!"

A deep and regal voice bellowed from below decks; "About time something interesting happened! Bring us alongside! If he's not one of those Taiwanese rogues I suppose we could pluck him out of the water."

"Yes your majesty!"

There was a rush of activity to adjust the sails and tiller. In a few moments the imperial vessel was next to Po's miserable flotsam. Po caught a glimpse of a couple geese playing cards below-decks through one of the portholes.

Po was again impressed at just how massive the vessel was. It hardly rocked from the swell. The main deck of the ship was a good thirty feet above the waterline! The poop deck (the high deck at the back of the ship) was an additional ten feet higher. There were ropes, pulleys, and knobs scattered all around the vessel. Everything was so carefully arranged it was obvious that the crew was made of professional sailors. From the side of the ship Po could hear the pitter-patter of feet on the deck.

Po peered up with squinted eyes at the grand vessel, searching for a familiar face.

It didn't take him all that long to find one, and it belonged to Oogway. What was he doing here? Po didn't usually see Oogway in his dreams, cool though he was.

"Master Oogway! Good to see you again! Turns out you weren't crazy after all!" Shouted Po joyfully.

Oogway was amused at this. "Well I'm glad you figured that one out!"

"Totally saved China a little while back, you should have seen it!" Po continued.

"I know, I've been watching your progress."

"But you're not even here right now! Also you're… uh…kinda dead."

Oogway raised a turtle-eyebrow.

"Sorry."

A golden pheasant, who Po could only guess was the emperor, appeared on the railing next to Oogway. He seemed most displeased.

"Oh Drat! Don't tell me you lost that robe I got you! Despite appearances I'm not made of money! Do you even know where you are boy?"

Oogway sighed. "I gave him a map, and he has a great compass, but it appears he isn't following either of them at the moment."

Po grumbled. "But I wasn't going anywhere! I'm just stuck on this boat hull!"

The emperor burst out laughing. "But of course you were! _Everyone_ is going _somewhere! _And you'd better make up your mind where _somewhere_ is before you run out of time!"

Now Po just moaned. "This is such a stupid dream. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Now the emperor was perturbed, angry even. He brushed the black and gold-checkered feathers on the sides of his head, then pointed briskly at Po. "You're far too important to not know where you're going! Do you honestly think this river will get any slower? There's a fork up ahead and if you make a wrong turn you could end up in some gods-forsaken swamp! Heaven knows what you'll **do then**!"

Here Oogway put a hand on the pheasant's shoulder. "Forgive him, he is young and he thinks the river goes on forever."

"If you say so master…" muttered the emperor, before he strutted up to the front of the ship. The golden bird stopped at the very front of the boat, on the prow, then took out his spyglass. He seemed to be scanning the horizon for something.

Oogway smiled warmly at Po. "I think you're doing just fine Po. I know you'll make the right choices."

Po chuckled. He decided to play along with the dream. "I…donno… it looks like I just lost my number one fan."

"Oh him? No, no, no… he's just a very busy bird. It gets to his head sometimes."

"And what's all this junk about a river?" Po asked. He wanted to wake up from this badly.

Oogway cackled in amusement. "You like metaphor as much as Shifu, I see!"

Po guessed that Shifu never really liked being spoken to in riddles and metaphor all the time. He imagined how quickly that could get old.

"So could you maybe… fill me in?" Po asked politely.

"Oh no, I was just checking in to see how you were doing. I'm not allowed to spoil much, but for the moment it seems you'll just have to sink or swim!"

Po facepalmed. That was not nearly as awesome or as helpful as what Oogway had said under the peach tree when he needed help last time. "Thank you!" Po managed to say, despite his disappointment.

Oogway leaned over the deck railing, hand on his chin.

"Anything for the Dragon warrior!"

The Shining emperor then trotted down the prow and back onto the main deck, motioning to the crew to reef the sails. Sailors and servants rushed about, pulling ropes and stowing equipment. Hatches were sealed, hammocks stowed, and oilskins donned. Lifelines were secured about everyone's waists. Everything was done quickly as if it had been a routine drill. The emperor, of course, got a golden rope. It was as if they were preparing for a large storm.

Oogway stood up straight, looking around and noticing all the activity. He looped a rope through his shell.

"Oh my! Look at all the hubbub! Must be a bumpy ride ahead. I'd get ready if I were you, Po."

"I don't even have a boat! And this is ridiculous can't I just get on yours?"

"I have already completed my journey; as I said I am just visiting. The emperor's boat isn't going where you want anyway."

The water was almost completely covering the boat hull Po was standing on. The current was getting even faster. Dark clouds began to cover the sky.

The emperor spun the tiller and his grand boat began to veer off to the far side of the river.

"Oogway wait!"

The waves began to rock even the emperor's mighty vessel. The water was turbulent, dark and frothy. The wind suddenly turned cold! _"You're not supposed to feel cold in a dream!" _Thought Po. What was going on? He got down on all fours so he wouldn't get knocked off his pathetic life-raft.

"Do not fear Po! I waited a long time to pick the Dragon warrior! You will know what to do!" Shouted Oogway.

"I don't even know if I'm sleeping anymore!" Was this supposed to be some sort of vision?

Oogway was almost out of earshot, but he managed to yell loud enough for Po to understand him. "One more thing; Tell Shifu to open that box already!"

Then Po could only wave goodbye as the emperor's boat shrunk in the distance.

Now there were other ships on the river being tossed about too. Sails were ripping and timbers cracking. Screams could be heard as sailors were swept overboard. The weather was getting worse by the second, and Po clung to his boat for dear life. A cold hail tore sideways through the sky. It hurt Po's back and filled the water with little clumps of ice.

"_Wake up wake up wake up wake up!" _Thought Po frantically. This was not pleasant.

Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse Po saw rocks up ahead. Big, jagged, nasty ones too. They would chew up his boat, then him! It was over!

Or at least it seemed like it was all over to Po. At least he would die and wake up soon. Or would he? Things were starting to feel pretty realistic. As he hurtled towards the rocks Po noticed someone swimming nearby. Who on earth would pick a time like this for a swim?

It was Monkey! Good old Monkey! Monkey swam over to Po and climbed onto the wreckage of his boat. "Glad to see ya buddy!"

Po exclaimed.

For no apparent reason monkey slapped him across the face.

"Glad to see you don't have brain damage!"

"Huh?"

Po woke up in his room back at the dormitory. He was hyperventilating and in a cold sweat.

"Or do you? I thought I saw Tigress catch you when you keeled over." Came a voice from his left.

Monkey was standing on his tail by Po's bedside.

"What happened? Why are you in my room?" Po exclaimed.

Monkey twiddled his fingers in a nervous sort of way.

"You passed out, so everyone carried you up here to your room."

"Why'd I- oh…. oh yeah… _that_ actually happened didn't it?"

"yyyyuuuup…..." Said monkey.

"How long was I out?"

"About an hour."

"Yeesh. Thanks for not leaving me out by the gate."

"No problem buddy."

Monkey leaned over to Po's ear. "But that guy's actually your father?" He whispered. Monkey felt pretty awkward, to say the least. He honestly couldn't find many words for this situation.

Po sighed. "Ug… No doubt about it. I just don't understand how it's possible."

This got a head shake from Monkey. "Boy! You really have dad issues Po."

"Don't remind me."

Monkey turned around and loped into the hall on his fists (like a monkey does).

"Well when you're feeling up for it, the guy's still waiting in the courtyard. "

Po laid back down on his cot. _Whump! _He heard Monkey go down the hall and into one of the pantries. There were so many questions!

What was going on around here? What was he supposed to do? What could he say?

It was like a chapter of his life that was supposed to be shut for good was being rewritten. Po had just come to terms with having dead parents, being the last of his kind. It was a dismal reality to adjust to, but he had found peace and accepted it. Po had adjusted! And adjusting had been really hard to do.

First he had a dad, but then he finally affirmed what he really had known all along (that his dad wasn't a goose). Then he had seen his actual parents, assuming they had abandoned him, then he found out they had died, and finally he realized he had the perfect dad (a goose) after all. Po counted Shifu as sort of a third dad, too. Everything had been working out just fine. But now his original dad is alive again! Suddenly everything was scrambled and confusing again!

Were there more pandas? Save for his flashbacks Po had never even seen another panda…

The situation became more curious than overwhelming as Po thought about it. He soon decided to walk down to the Palace courtyard.

* * *

Po slowly and quietly descended the steps from the dormitory. It was late afternoon, and the sun would set soon. He soon caught sight of the visitor, his "father." He was a great big figure clad in a dark green robe. The older panda sat on a bench, with his travel pack over his lap. He looked tired, travel-worn. His head was bowed as if in thought.

Po sighed, then trudged across the courtyard. "_Gotta get this over with sometime…" _

Never in a million years had he thought this could happen. He had been raised by a single parent of an entirely different species, and he had been okay with that.

The older panda lifted his head up slowly. The two pairs of eyes met for the second time that day. There was no fainting this time, but silence for a long while.

The older panda cleared his throat, and tried to say something, but ended up closing his mouth up again. What does a father say to a son he hasn't seen in almost thirty years?

"_Nothing, because that just doesn't happen." _The older panda thought, angry at the fates for how they continually tortured him. But he had to say something, while he had the chance. He had come all this way, and it was obvious the Dragon Warrior was indeed his son. There was the slim possibility he could make things right. In a few more moments he tried speaking again, with success. "From your reaction earlier, I take it you remember me?" His voice was deep, gravelly.

Po averted his eyes, fiddled with his thumbs. "A bit, yeah."

"Good. And after your encounter with Lord Shen, you realize what happened to our people?"

"…Yeah.."

The older panda grinned slightly. He clasped his hands together.

"Also good. That saves a lot of explanation on my part. I hope you didn't grow up thinking your mother and I abandoned you…. you don't even know my name, do you?"

The green-robed giant stood and offered a hand. "My name is Xi, Xi Wang."

Po shook his hand with slight hesitation.

"And... I imagine, you don't remember your own name?"

"My name is Po Ping, regardless of what it was before." Po said with determination.

Xi was taken aback. " Well I'll be! Your foster parents got it half right! What a wonderful coincidence. I'd be most honored to meet them."

Po raised an eyebrow.

Xi caught on to Po's discomfort quickly. He took a step back and bowed. "Forgive my forwardness, Dragon Warrior, I did not mean to-"

Po raised a hand. "Dude, don't worry about it. I'm just as lost as you are. Believe or not I thought my blood father was a goose until recently. We've got some catching up to do. You wanna, I donno, come in for dinner? It's getting dark."

"It'd be an honor."

You could totally stay here for the night too, if you want- I'm sure Shifu wouldn't mind."

"I can stay at the _Jade Palace?_!"

"Well aren't you supposed to be my dad? I'm sure this will work out somehow. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Xi blinked a few times.

"Thank you... Dra-"

"Call me Po" Po interrupted.

"Po…" It felt good for Xi to say that name again. Really good.

The Jade Palace had plenty of guest facilities to spare, and Shifu was quick to allow Xi to stay as long as he wanted. The master of the Jade Palace and the weary Xi had a brief conversation in the Hall of Heroes. Everyone was in a state of shock, but they were polite to the new guest. The question on everyone's mind was "_where do things go from here?" _The unspoken consensus was to let Po decide. Things went very awkwardly, but they worked out. Po figured he might as well have his father dine with everyone in the kitchen. He was sure they were almost as curious about this turn of events as he was anyway. Po wasn't about to have his father just sit next to everybody, but maybe they would eat in the same room so everyone could get adjusted.

Po put an extra table in the dining hall and quickly cooked up extra large portions. In the meantime Xi was taking a much-needed bath and moving into his new room. He sat on the bed in the guest house and prepared himself mentally for what was about to come. He had thought of this moment for weeks, and now it was finally here. Somehow the staff had let him address the Dragon warrior. Somehow he had made it all the way here without a hitch. He couldn't afford mistakes, or any more awkwardness. He would not be very forward during dinner, and had practiced his explanation a dozen times while on the road. They would take things slow.

Xi had hoped for many things when he heard his son was alive weeks ago. Step one-getting his son to recognize him- was already out of the way. Step two, -they would get to know each other-. Xi was in awe of the Jade Palace, and Po's status as the legendary Dragon Warrior. Would Po even consider step three? Or especially step four? It was a wild dream that he would… but it was worth chasing.

Soon everyone was crammed into the dining room. It was noodles night, and everybody was starving. Xi was likely the hungriest of all, but he was not about to make a poor display of manners. The two pandas had a separate table. Master Shifu was not joining the group for dinner that night, likely because of the guest. Perhaps he foresaw how awkward dinner would be. Or maybe he just wasn't hungry. Who knew?

"Alright soups on!" Said Po. He served the five individually, before getting soup for Xi. It was a habit of Po's to play waiter during dinner time. Something about serving dinner, as if the five had walked into his restaurant, was totally awesome. Sometimes he would prevent them from pouring their own soup, or getting their own food. Not that anyone complained. They both understood and appreciated it. Po received a round of "thank you's" as per usual, then he got his own soup and sat down at the other table across from Xi. The panda table was on the other side of the room from the larger table that seated the five. It gave a little breathing room for everybody else.

"This is my special!" Po said excitedly. "Hope you like it. It's my version of 'secret ingredient soup.' "

Xi was confused. "You…. cook for everyone?"

"Well yeah. I like to cook."

Xi tried the noodles. "This is incredible! But you couldn't just have a servant make the meals?"

"Well they do lunch a lot, and snack foods. But I usually do the big stuff. I grew up in a restaurant y'nnow."

Xi choked on his food.

"A.. _cough… _what?"

"A noodle shop! The best in the valley! We should go down and meet my dad tomorrow. " This got a look from Xi.

"My uh…. other dad."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"You didn't exactly sound impressed."

"No no no… it's not that (though it obviously was). I'm just curious as to how you went from noodle-maker to Dragon warrior. That's quite a jump."

Po didn't think a full explanation was in order, not in front of the five. Maybe a group dinner hadn't been such a good idea tonight. He could tell everyone was slightly uncomfortable. This room was in the dorms, after all. And despite being Po's supposed father the new panda was a total stranger. Even if he wasn't it would have been a little odd. Mr. Ping, for example, would not have been very welcome either.

Po pinched the bridge of his nose. What to do?

"Ug. Look, I'm really sorry. This is just weird. I have no idea where we go from here. We can go over stories after dinner. How about right now we just eat?"

Xi nodded slowly. " Of course! I apologize! I didn't want to force conversation, such talk can wait."

He resumed eating, enjoying the meal immensely. When he finished the first bowl, he quickly got a second. The second bowl didn't last very long, and Xi soon got a third. And a fourth. And "*SLURP!" a fifth.

Po had been chasing a grain of rice around in his bowl as he waited. The five had stuck around out of curiosity, sipping tea and holding light conversation. They were polite enough not to stare too much. Tigress sat with her back as straight as a board, pretending nothing strange was happening at all. She didn't even so much as glance across the kitchen, which told Po she was really bothered by something. At least it looked like Xi was almost done eating.

"Well it's about time someone else had an appetite around here! If you weren't a panda I'd think you were starving or something." Po said.

Xi smiled. Here, at least, he would not be criticized for how much he ate. "Thank you so much for dinner Po! I've been on the west road a while, and no one on it seems to know how to cook."

"Well geez. How long have you been traveling?" Asked Po, curious.

"Three weeks." Replied Xi nonchalantly. Ears at the other table were perked.

"What?!" Po exclaimed.

"It's a long way to my village. I'll show you on a map soon."

"You could have wrote or something!"

"You'd have believed a letter?" Po couldn't help but agree. But three weeks?  
Xi polished up the fifth bowl of soup, and another of rice. Then, only after he had a couple bean buns, would he declare he was finished eating. He leaned back in his chair. Po silently hoped it wouldn't break, because Xi was even bigger than he was.

"Would you care to… take a walk?" Xi ventured. Po perked up at this.

"Sure. Just let me clear the tables." Replied Po casually.

XI tilted his head to the side. "Now surely _that_ can be taken care of by the palace staff? You are the Dragon Warrior are you not?"

"It's habit. I don't mind at all." Po said, mildly concerned as to why Xi cared.

"But I guess it can wait until later. Lemme just clear the tables."

Xi decided not to push the issue. "_A noodle shop? What a strange turn of events… especially given his bloodline." _

Everyone hastily excused themselves and retired to their respective rooms. Po just cleared the table- he would come back and finish washing everything later. Xi rapped his fingers on the table patiently. In a few minutes they were walking out the door, and in another few they were looking out onto the Valley. They stood side by side, watching all the tiny firelights below. The Western horizon still glowed a faint red, as the sun had just set.

"This is the first time I have come to the Valley of Peace. It has lived up to it's reputation." Said Xi.

Po looked over at his biological father.

"Yep. It's a pretty awesome place alright."

There was an awkward pause. Xi decided to jump right into things. No more beating around the bush.

"I live in hiding with a couple hundred other pandas. There are more of us left than most would guess. We have forged a life for ourselves in a very remote area, and so get very infrequent and limited contact with the rest of China. When we do get news, it comes by air from only the most trusted messengers. A little over three weeks ago, I received word that Lord Shen had been defeated by the Dragon Warrior himself. This, of course, was wonderful news. As you can guess, our people for the most part had to abandon their homes because of the peacock. The coward! Hiding behind his army of wolves!" Xi spoke bitterly.

"Even after he was exiled we were too weak to resist him and his hordes. The Imperial army thought us dead, and even later they could not help us in our plight. The only choice was to hide."

Xi turned to Po.

"You went unnoticed because of your isolation. You must have known that you were the only Panda for hundreds of Li? "

"It wasn't fun." Said Po glumly.

"And you were in the Valley of Peace, no less. So close to the Jade Palace that Shen would not have dared show his face. I had long thought you dead along with your mother. I searched high and low! Imagine my surprise when I learned the Dragon warrior was a Panda. A Panda of almost thirty years of age! I prayed it would be you. I had spent decades rounding up our people from all over the countryside. Only together, isolated, were we safe. "

Xi looked up at Po. "Then you vanquished Lord Shen. Everything changed in an instant. If the news was true, our isolation, our labors… our secrecy, were now pointless. We could go back to where we had lived before… back home."

Xi paused briefly. "I had to make sure the messenger was right. I am the leader of our people, and only I could make the right decision. I also had to see if you were my son. And that, to put it briefly, is why I am here."

"Wow." Said Po. He couldn't find words for a minute or two. How was it that his world turned upside-down so frequently?

"You're taking this well!" Xi commented.

"I donno about that. You said you were a leader? Like who?" Asked Po.

"I am the thirtieth chieftan of our people. The last survivor of a long line of succession, or so I had thought until recently."

"Well hey… that's pretty cool." Mused Po. Then it hit him like a sack of bricks.

"Wait! You're saying I'm…. and you expect me to…? You can't be serious!"

Xi was quick to become defensive.  
"I didn't mean to suggest anything of the sort! You've already got your hands full, it appears."

Po calmed down a little. "Okay! Little freaked out there. Y'nnow you're like the only other panda I've ever even seen."

Xi frowned. "That couldn't have been enjoyable. I'm sorry. I should have searched harder."

"It's not your fault! You did all you could."

Xi appeared unconvinced.

"But to go through what you did! Growing up so different and alone! There are reasons we pandas live together in our own communities. We are too different from most others."

Xi grimaced. "To be bigger. To break furniture. It must have hurt."

Po shrugged. "It did! But it really wasn't so bad. You gotta give other animals a chance."

"And you should give living with other Pandas a chance! You know that where I come from, girth is a sign of beauty and health." Argued Xi.

Po laughed – hard. "HAH! No way! Now there's a way of looking at things I wish everyone could have! But folks around here have seen me bounce enough baddies off my stomach to know it's a valuable asset."

Po shook his belly for emphasis.

Xi smiled. "I suppose that in the absence of most Pandas, you have patched our reputation somewhat? It's perfect! The greatest warrior in all of China! A Panda!"

Po shuffled his feet nervously. "Naah… that was Oogway. Or Shifu. Or Tigress. I'm not all that awesome."

Xi lighted pushed Po in the shoulder. "Ridiculous! I hear you destroyed an entire armada single-handed in Gongmen Bay! By redirecting cannon-fire no less!

Po shrugged. Xi then continued.

"You have ensured justice for our people – you've rid the world of that genocidal peacock! Without even knowing it you've done so much for your kind. _We will_ live on Po! Because of you!"

Then Xi coughed. "And now that the meal is over… how exactly did you get your title? I'm dying to know."

Po relented, and spent a good hour telling his tale, right up from when he crawled out of a radish crate. Xi listened closely the whole time, riveted.

"A fantastic tale! To think that this whole time I thought you dead and gone. And you really thought your dad was a goose?"

Po held up a hand defensively. "No, I always suspected. I just never wanted to accept the fact that he wasn't."

"I understand. And we could meet this goose tomorrow?" Asked Xi.

Po sighed. "That's the thing. I've got important Dragon Warrior business to attend to. I get a day off every so often though, and a lot of afternoons. I'll bring it up with Shifu, and maybe he'll give me some more free time. In the meantime… you wanna stay here?"

"I'd be honored. But your master did not seem very pleased to meet me."

"Who? Shifu? No he's just like that. It takes him a while to warm up to people. He's a great guy. And the five are too. We're like a little family, y'nnow. Gotta watch each other's backs. I can't even count how many times they've saved my butt."

Xi nodded. "Good… good! I have so much I could tell you about back home!"

"And I have… a lot of questions! But in all honesty it's getting a bit late. Mostly this is all a little… overwhelming."

Xi held up a hand. "Son, I completely understand. I've had three weeks to accept this, where as you have had three hours. I am exhausted from my journey anyway. It can wait. I am already overjoyed just to have seen you"

"_Son…" _thought Po. He had never heard that from anyone other than a goose. He hardly knew the guy that had said it, yet it seemed so right. Who would he have become, had this Panda raised him? He would not be Po. But before he became the Dragon Warrior that would not have been such a bad thing. Actually, as Po remembered, it would have been a good thing. "_The thirty-first chieftan…" _

That panda would have had respect, without being a Kung-Fu prodigy. That panda would have been a natural leader. "_That panda would have gotten dates…" _

But Po was glad to be Po. The other Po wouldn't have been nearly as awesome, and the past eight months had more than made up for everything previous.

This Xi was interesting, and deserved respect, but he was Po's third father. Behind the noodle-chef. Behind the legendary Kung-Fu teacher.

Po had zoned out, and Xi had started walking towards the guest house.

He had to say something.

"Dad!" Xi turned around to look back at Po.

"Glad to finally see you too!" Po said. Xi smiled, then resumed walking.

"_What a day!"_

* * *

Po returned to the kitchen, where he stacked the dishes and began washing the cookware. He got a bucket of soapy water and unplugged the drain to the wash-trough. All the while he stared blankly ahead, unfocused. He had such a killer headache! His mind was totally blown by the events of the evening and he stowed everything in a careless fashion. At least washing was automatic to Po – he was almost as good at it as cooking. That's what happens when you grow up in a restaurant. In a few minutes the last pot found its rung, and the drawers were shut. Po groggily surveyed the kitchen before walking down to his room. It was too early in the night to sleep, and the panda had too much on his mind anyway. He also wasn't in the mood for some wild dream like the one he had had earlier. After sitting on his cot for a few minutes he figured he should just go to the hot springs near the palace like he had planned to in the first place. _"Wow! That was this afternoon that I had that idea? Everything before tonight seems like weeks ago!" _

And he was supposed to remember how to split rocks with his bare hands? But It was a nice night. Relaxing in the hot springs would be the perfect way to get rid of his throbbing headache. Maybe he'd get some sleep afterwards.

Po wasn't usually one for solitude but somehow he wasn't in kind of mood to invite the other guys to go with him. Everyone else was relaxing in their rooms right now; they were probably reading or meditating. The problem was that the hallway had a crazy creaky floor, and the doors were made of paper. Even if he didn't make much noise walking, his shadow would be obvious to anyone paying attention. And the residents of the Jade Palace certainly didn't get their jobs without being attentive. Tigress was an especially light sleeper, even more then the usual kung-fu warrior. She took her training to the next level, sometimes sleeping upright or with her eyes open. Po found that frightening and yet totally awesome (like many things).

After a little thought Po figured it would best to just casually walk out of the building. Trying to sneak would just make everybody suspicious or something. P grabbed a towel, then poked his head into the hallway to see if the coast was clear. He made every board creak on his way down the hall and shut the front door rather loudly.

There were several thermal pools near the palace, all of them on a forested hillside. None of them were very large, and none had very good views (a boon), but most happened to be just the right temperature. They were a real luxury, one that Po hadn't even known about when he first came to the palace.

It was a clear and starry night. The moon was half-full so Po could easily see where he was going. After about fifteen minutes of walking Po tossed his towel onto a tree-branch. He slowly dropped into the water, until he was in up to his shoulders. The pools were lined with stones, and this one even had a stairway leading into the water. There were places to sit chipped out of the rock around the pool. On the side of the pool opposite the stairwell was a tall rock wall, with a little waterfall rushing over the side and into the pool. Po chose his favorite spot, then leaned back into the stone seat. _"Yeah…awesome_." Maybe now he could sort out the mess in his head and relax a little. It had been a long day, even without his supposedly long-dead father showing up for a visit. That really doesn't happen often, does it? Po threw out that chain of thought and started counting stars. Here he could just unwind and bob around until late at night… totally free from care…..

"Hey Po, you up there?" Came the voice of Crane from nearby.

"_Oh right. Tonight is __the__ hot springs night."_ Po remembered. Even if he hadn't needed to unwind he would have come up here.

'Hot springs night' was a tradition he had started a while ago. Every couple of weeks him and the guys would go to the springs to chill out and eat finger food. It was a great way to hang out, and Shifu had no idea 'springs night' even existed. That was probably a good thing.

But for once Po didn't want company. He sank down to his nose and blew bubbles.

"_Ugg...maybe if I don't say anything they won't come up here." _

Crane flew into view, blotting out some stars. " Oh you _are _up here. Not in the best mood are we?" Crane threw his towel over a treebranch, then splash-landed in the water. He looked funny, floating with his body above the water like a duck. Suddenly he was very short.

"Pretty cruddy actually." Replied Po.

"I can imagine! Well Monkey said he'd bring some fresh cookies so you'll feel better in no time. Good feelings is what springs night is all about!"

Crane sank down to his head, then tilted his beak back and looked up at the stars. He had no idea what he could say to make Po feel better, so he just threw some words out. "Nice night eh?"

"Yup."

And that was that. The two of them sat in comfortable silence as the water bubbled around them. The waterfall at the edge of the pool made pleasant gurgling sounds and bubbled up the water.

Soon Monkey showed up with a couple big jars. Without hesitation, or so much as a word, he jumped in the spring.

"Hey! You made it!" Said Crane.

"I never miss these nights! I just had to grab some sweets is all. Maybe I should try and sneak some wine next time?"

Crane coughed in surprise. "Are you nuts? I can't even imagine what Shifu would do to us if he found that in the pantry!"

"Well I wouldn't keep it in the pantry!"

"It wouldn't matter where you kept it. Rules are rules, and Shifu likes them."

Monkey scowled.

"Is fun against the rules? And who are we to follow them? Children? I haven't had any booze for a decade! It's ridiculous!"

Po groaned. Monkey turned his attention away from Crane.

"And what's biting you?" He said.

Crane rolled his eyes. "I'll give you three guesses."

Monkey opened one of the jars and took out a cookie. He tossed it in his mouth, then talked while chewing.

"Our guest, is it? C'mon Po leave those worries for tomorrow. They don't belong in here!"

Monkey then made a box around himself with his hands, as a mime would. "This is a special place you see…"

Crane chuckled. "_Here he goes again_. _He changes this speech every time."_

"When you walk in here, you forget what you have to do when you walk out. All of that, that _junk_ or whatever, is waiting for you on the edge of the pool. You hung it up, just like you hung your towel when you arrived. It can't get you. It can't mess with you. You're in _the spring__, _and you can't get those worries back until you leave _the spring__." _Monkey pointed down every time he said '_the spring.'_

Monkey made his hand walk along the rim of a cookie jar.

"In fact, you've gotta be careful. With no worries you may wanna stay in here forever- or at least until you shrivel up like a prune."

Monkey took a couple cookies out of the jar.

"But that's why I brought the food, you see. When you run out of food, you know it's time to go. Time to put the worries back on."

"You have such a way with words." Crane said as he rolled his eyes.

"Thank you. I've also got a way with flour. Round one!"

He tossed a cookie to Po, then to Crane.

Po tossed his cookie in his mouth, chewing with content. "Guth bak mcky!"

"Thanks Po." Replied Monkey. He understood mouth-full language. Crane nibbled at his cookie with the side of his beak. Having a beak didn't help when it came to cookies… or especially noodles.

Monkey gave the jar full of cookies to Crane, who then passed it to Po.

Po ate another couple cookies. Maybe company would help him feel better after all.

If they were going to have "springs night" as they usually did, however, they were still missing a member.

"So where's Mantis?" Asked Po.

"He said he'd come. He never misses these nights either."

Just then there was a small noise in the bushes near the pool.

"Ah that must be him. Hey Mantis!"

But it was not Mantis- it was Viper! And she seemed just as surprised as all the men in the pool.

"So this is where you all disappear to on these nights! I heard Monkey leave and followed him out of the palace."

The men in the pool exchanged nervous glances. Their little secret was out. This night was supposed to be a guy's thing.

"I mean what a nice idea! A night to relax. You even brought food and….. and… you didn't invite me." Viper turned her head sideways and frowned.

Crane lifted an eyebrow. "We didn't think you'd want to come, we're uh… sorry?" He said awkwardly.

"Well, I'm here now, so it's not a problem."

She began to slither into the pool.

Po thought of a plan and thought it up quick. "You don't think that's… y'nnow, indecent?"

Viper's gave Po a 'are you serious?' face.

"Don't tell me you're all naked?"

Monkey caught onto Po's plan. Actually, most of the time they washed their clothes by wearing them in the pool, but Viper wouldn't be able to tell from her viewpoint.

Monkey put on his poker face. "Totally. C'mmon who wears clothes in a bath?"

Viper almost retracted from the water, but then she looked back towards the trees. Then she looked back at Monkey.

"You're lying! You would have hung them up. C'mon this is the nicest spring in the forest!"

Monkey reached under the water, yanked off his pants, and threw them at Viper, before throwing up his hands victoriously. "Now I'm not! Haha!"

Po and Crane couldn't help but laugh uproariously at this.

Viper narrowly avoided Monkey's pants. They landed with a wet sound on the rock next to her. "AUGH are you like seven?!" She recoiled away from the pool.

"Well you must be five, to be so uncivil. This is obviously a men's bathhouse." Replied Monkey sagely.

"Well I'm a snake! Do you really think I care if you're naked!?"

"Well I care. I'd like to think you could respect my privacy. Women these days."

Crane and Po were doubled over, almost in tears from mirth. Crane was unsuccessfully trying to hide his amusement with his hat. He didn't want to get on Viper's bad side. Monkey was going to get whipped in training tomorrow!

Po coughed, recovering from his laughter. "Ahem, uh, Viper, what Monkey is really trying to say is that this is a men's night out. He means it in the nicest of ways." Po fiddled his fingers, hoping she would take the news well. Crane stopped laughing as well.

Viper was fuming. "A WHAT?! That's totally unfair! What am I supposed to do now?"

Monkey didn't know when to stop. "Well you could always have a _girls _night out with Tigress. We let her know before she wasn't welcome here either. "

Now the laughter reached a crescendo. The very thought of Tigress having a 'girls' night out' pushed everyone in the pool over the edge.

"NOT FUNNY GUYS!" Yelled Viper, her voice almost lost in everyone else's 'haha's' and chortles.

Po, Crane, and even Monkey felt a little bad for Viper, not having a girlfriend at the palace to hang out with. It really wasn't fair, when they thought about it. Tigress just wasn't the "hang out" kind of person. What she did with Po almost counted, but that was still Kung-Fu. But however bad they felt for Viper, this was 'springs night,' and they weren't about to let it go so easily.

"Sorry Viper," Po began, finger raised as if to make a point. " We have no choice but to tell you what we told Tigress a while back."

"What?"

"You're gonna have to go downhill if you want to get in a spring."

"_WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" _ Said Viper, absolutely incensed. Po had some motsy saying that!

"You heard him." Said Monkey. "Downhill it is."

"I can't believe this nonsense! Crane, even you of all people?"

Crane sighed. " Rules are rules Viper. This one's out of my control. I'm afraid you're going to have to go downhill. Please don't kill me tomorrow."

"I-"

"Downhill." Said all of the guys in unison.

"But-"

"Downhill." They said again.

There was a noise in the bushes, and Mantis came out holding a little towel.

"Hey what'd I miss? Are we throwing another nonbeliever out into the cold?"

Viper turned and hissed at him, before slithering back out into the bushes. The men could hear her talking angrily to herself. "And that one doesn't even wear clothes! Men and their stupid night out." The angry bickering faded as Viper got farther away.

Mantis appeared unbothered. "Well at least she doesn't bottle it all up like Tigress does. Good job soldiers!"

"Good to see you made it!" Said Crane.

"Oh well, y'nnow had to clean my acupuncture set, review a few scrolls. Throw me a cookie."

"That's the spirit!" Encouraged Po. And the four of them stayed up for a couple hours, having a grand old time.

/

* * *

_*Meanwhile, downhill...*_

Viper figured she would take a bath that night anyway, and so she began to head downhill (much to her bitterness). For several minutes she searched around in the moonlight. She wasn't usually one to mutter angrily but that last clip from Monkey really lit a fuse. Even Po, the courteous, warm, and wonderful fluffy gentleman (her personal description) , had stabbed her in the back.

Viper soon found another opening in the forest, and saw another steaming pool ahead.

"Who do they think they are? I can take a dip where I want. I'll show that primate buffoon tomorrow. And if the rest think they can just back him up and get away with it then… "

"Exiled downhill, I presume?" Came a smooth, cool-toned voice.

Taken by surprise, Viper perked up her head from her muttering and noticed Tigress leaning against a rock on the far side of the pool. She was looking up at the stars, at ease.

"Oh! Didn't see you there Tigress! I didn't mean to intrude or anything." Tigress just kept looking at the stars, silent as a grave.

"The guys have this men's club or something going on. They wouldn't let me in the nice spring. It's completely outrageous!"

Tigress shifted her glowing orange gaze to Viper.

"I understand how you feel. That was one of my favorite places to relax before they decided to frequent the spot. One night I walked in on them and they insisted it was off-limits. As if I would be so indecent as to jump in with them! The very nerve! Though I'm glad they didn't walk in on me instead. Now I come here when they choose to have their little _springs nights_."

Viper chuckled at this. Everybody walking in on Tigress bathing. Now _that _would be a funny story. She considered making an attempt at further conversation but seriously doubted it would be appreciated. Tigress needed a lot of 'alone' time and Viper had learned to respect that. She bowed lightly. "Well I _have_ walked in on you, and I know how you value your privacy. Goodnight, Tigress. Perhaps tomorrow we can get a little payback in the training hall."

Viper then turned to leave.

"You could bathe if you want, I wouldn't mind a little company."

"_What is this?" _Thought Viper "_Is this Tigress speaking?" _

She couldn't help but turn around in surprise. Tigress noticed.

"What? It's only fair. If the men want to have their own pool, we should have ours." Said Tigress unflinchingly.

Viper couldn't tell if this was some ruse, but she was too happy to care. Without another word she slid into the water.

"AAAAAHHhhhh…. You have no idea how good that feels when you're cold blooded."

"I agree." Said Tigress. "It is just the right temperature, though it doesn't have a waterfall."

"That's fine. It doesn't have any naked monkeys in it either." Joked Viper.

Tigress chuckled lightly. "Their brotherly love is charming."

Viper shook her head. "Peh, Not really."

Had she really gotten Tigress to laugh just then? She didn't only do it for Po?  
Viper knew she should tread carefully if she wanted to try and trade words with Tigress. Tigress was family now, though how that was Viper didn't exactly understand. For years they had just been sisters-at-arms. They respected and trusted each other with their lives, but were practically business partners. Viper hadn't been able to talk to Tigress about anything other than Kung-Fu longer than five minutes. Not that she hadn't tried at first. No. When the two of them first met Viper had always tried to befriend, involve, and connect. Tigress just wasn't having any of that.

As Viper got to understand Tigress and her past she knew why this was; Tigress had only a few goals that she pursued with absolute discipline.

The foremost of these was to please her master and earn the respect of the world by becoming the greatest Kung-Fu master ever. Viper was horrified to learn one day that Tigress was Shifu's adopted daughter, and that he was effectively presenting the illusion that only her perfection would earn his love. Viper knew that this was not his intention, but that was obviously what was happening. She also suspected that Tigress's emotionless demeanor resulted from having Shifu as a father.

This and many other aspects of Tigress's character Viper came to quickly understand. She wanted to help Tigress, but she hadn't known how. It was impossible to do anything when Tigress couldn't let anyone in, or even talk to them. Tigress would have compared relationships to knives, and saw friendships as pointless distractions. The cruel irony! That Tigress denied herself love as she did everything in her power to get it! At least it made Tigress strong. All Viper could do was learn to give her space, and watch her suffer. She did her duty as a member of the five, and didn't dare brush such delicate subjects with anyone.

But now things had changed, thanks to Po. Tigress enjoyed her company, ate with her, and occasionally chatted with her. Maybe she could be more than just the respected leader. Maybe, just maybe she had the potential to be the sister Viper had always wanted her to be. Viper dusted off her old dreams and hoped for the best.

First she would have to think of something Tigress would be genuinely interested in talking about. What convenient timing that Po's long lost father had shown up.

"An interesting day, don't you think?" Viper said to Tigress.

"Absolutely. I can imagine what Po's going through right now."

"_You know why she can imagine that, but don't bring it up. It's a dead end." Viper thought. _

"Well the others are doing their best to comfort and distract him. What do you think will happen? I'm worried."

Tigress sat upright, shifting off of the rock she had been leaning on.

"You have good foresight. I'm assuming you're worried that his father will want him to visit the other Pandas. Actually, his father probably wants him to move there."

"What!? That's ridiculous!" Viper exclaimed.

Tigress sighed. "Is it?. Do you really think he'd travel so far to just to visit? It's obvious he genuinely thought Po had been dead all this time. Do you really think Po won't at least want to meet other Pandas?"

Viper looked confused. "How can you say that? Po is too responsible to be away from duty that long. And he wouldn't even consider moving away."

"Oh, I doubt he'll move away. But it's a possibility."

"No way. Not Po. He wouldn't even think about it."

Tigress shook her head.

"I would understand the reasons behind it. If this had happened when he was younger he wouldn't have hesitated before leaving. "

"How do you know that?" Asked Viper.

"Imagine being the only Panda in the Valley. Being different from everyone else and getting reminded of it every day. No matter how kind you were, you'd never be fully accepted. You'd be called everything from fat to lazy. You'd be criticized for your natural appetite, for what you are. You'd have no one to relate to at all."

Viper stared ahead wide eyed. "Wow…. "

"Now imagine how tempting it would be to change all of that. To live with other Pandas." Sad Tigress in a solemn tone.

"You've talked to him about this?" Asked Viper.

"No, but I can relate. Being the only Panda in the Valley is a lot like being the only Tiger in an orphanage – _it's not pleasant. _I would have given anything for my real parents to show up at the orphanage, as if I was there by accident, and whisk me away to a village full of other Tigers._" _

"_There she goes again!" _Thought Viper. "_She's actually opening up for once. Do I dare go further? She broached the subject… I'll have to be careful. Do I show sympathy for her past, talk about Shifu? That'd be easier now that he's actually acting fatherly. No… still delicate. Something else maybe." _

" Sounds harsh. You two have soooo much in common. "

_Viper realized her blunder instantly. "OH NO! Did I really just say that? I didn't mean it to sound like that! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. It's over. What's the point of going on? We'll never have springs night again. How do I get out of this one alive?"_

Tigress, on the other side of the pool, was deciding how to react. _"Ugh… how does Viper do it? Do I pretend that I didn't pick up on that tone? Do I make a show about it? Do I brush it off? "_

Tigress decided to settle on a facial expression that screamed "not amused" in several different ways.

"That little joke about me and Po was a lot funnier the first time." She said flatly.

Viper smirked.

"Is it really such a ridiculous idea?" Said Viper, curling up on top of a rock in the middle of the pool.

Tigress sat up completely straight. "It's not just ridiculous. Its _crazy_. I don't need rumors shattering my reputation. Or Po's reputation. " She said with a foul tone.

"Tell me more." Said Viper, acting at ease despite the situation. "About why it's a crazy idea."

"This has become a stupid conversation, and I'm finished with it." Said Tigress. She leaned back against the rock, put her hands behind her head, and closed her eyes. The silent treatment. Tigress was done for the night. She had turned back into stone.

Noticing this Viper let out a melancholy sigh.

"We're never going to get to have girl-talk are we?"

"Girl-talk?!" Tigress spat. She opened her eyes briefly to check if Viper was serious. She was very surprised to see she was. "Only from you, Viper!" Tigress said with amusement, as if the idea was preposterous. She closed her eyes again, and settled down into the water.

Now Viper was mad. Offended, actually. It was time she stood her ground and set Tigress straight for once. Viper didn't care what Tigress decided to do about it. She perked her head up and spoke loudly:

"Yes, girl-talk! Talking between girls! Maybe even gossiping! Because despite all evidence to the contrary, how you treat me, I like to pretend you're a sister to me! I suppose you think that's crazy too?"

Tigress opened her eyes with interest, and started to speak. "I-"

But Viper didn't want to hear it. She talked over Tigress, something that really took guts to do. She didn't care. She pointed at the Tiger with the end of her tail accusingly.

"You know what else is crazy! I'll tell you what's really, crazy! I've known you for ten years and you don't even trust me enough to joke about men!"

There was a long pause. Viper's voice became low and quiet.

"What did I do to deserve that?"

Tigress didn't seem to have any snide comment about that. She looked as if she didn't know what to say.

Viper was done with her for tonight. Why did she even try? She turned and slithered through the water until she reached the edge of the pool, then began sliding back towards the palace.

Tigress's voice came from the other side of the pool. It wasn't angry, or arguing. It was soft, and hurt.

"I don't deserve you as a teammate." This made Viper stop.

"I don't deserve you as a friend." At this Viper turned and looked back at Tigress, still sitting against the rock.

"And I definitely don't deserve a sister like you. You've shown me nothing but kindness and sincerity since the first day you came to the palace. I never once returned the favor."

The water of the pool was placid, reflecting the moon, stars, and somber expressions.

Tigress took a deep breath. What she was doing was not easy for her.

"You're not so crazy, actually. When Po serves dinner I like to pretend we're all a little family too. I've always thought highly of you and the others, always known you've had my back and I've had yours. And I'm tired of mistreating you. I've never tried to, but it's what I've done. For that I'm….

"_Oh my gods she's actually going to apologize."_ Thought the snake.

"… sorry."

Her mouth remained open for a moment, as if she was considering saying something else, but then she shut it.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, as the words sank in, but then Viper began to smile. She smiled wider than she had in a long time, perhaps wider than she had ever smiled before (and she smiles a lot). She leapt back in the pool and then swum up to Tigress.

She pointed her tail at Tigress. "I knew it!"

"What?"

"That all along, that underneath that act you put up there's a heart of gold! Apology accepted, sister." Viper poked at Tigress's chest for emphasis.

Tigress smiled and playfully swatted away Viper's tail. "I've got a reputation to keep. Don't go spreading that around."

"I get it. You're our leader and we like you just the way you are. And if that means you don't want to talk about Po then I won't mention it again."

"_Well that's a relief." _Thought Tigress.

But then she remembered something Po had said, a few weeks ago : _"Make no mistake: - underneath that cold Kung-Fu shell is one of the most awesome people I know." _Maybe there was more merit to that then she had thought?

Perhaps she could take a chance. Maybe there were times when the armor could come off; if only for a little while. And Tigress couldn't talk to Po about everything….

"Oh I don't think I really mind. After all, I need to make up for ten years, don't I?"

"What?!" exclaimed Viper in surprise.

Tigress grinned. "Let's have some _girl talk._" The words felt strange coming off the tongue.

Viper practically squeeked in delight, before being cut off by Tigress.

" On two conditions!"

"Try me." Said Viper.

Tigress held up a finger. "One, that absolutely NOTHING leaves this pool."

"Agreed." Said Viper.

Then she held up another. "Two… No shouting. Even the trees could have ears."

Viper held up her tail, preparing to take a vow, but Tigress shook her fist at the snake. She was taking things really seriously.

"Swear it on your life! On your sacred honor!" Demanded Tigress.

"Woah! Tigress it's not that big of a deal!" Viper recoiled.

"Do it!"

Viper did, and was a honestly a little scared.

"Well, then, there you are." Said Tigress reassuringly. "I swear the same, though it would have been fun not to."

Viper chuckled. "Oh please. You don't have a bad bone in your body Tigress."

"I'd be careful around me."

Viper was very pleased with herself, and wasted no time.

"I think I'll take my chances and just jump to the chase: are you in love with Po?"

Of course Viper would ask that question. Tigress's did her best not to betray a hint of emotion. She was good with control, but still she had to decide what to do on the spot. If she outright denied it Viper would believe her. Tigress could try and forget all this nonsense. If she said she did, would it feel nice to have shared? She had committed to this silly game already. She already trusted Viper with her life, why not a dirty little secret? If she hesitated much longer the answer would be obvious anyway.

Tigress's heart beat fast. Vipers eyes were like saucers. Perhaps that crucial moment had already come and gone?

It took every ounce of the Tiger's will to make the decision, and the softest of whispers passed her lips. It was so faint that Viper almost couldn't hear it, close though she was.

"Yes."

Viper's jaw dropped lower then it had when Po gave Tigress a hug in Gongmen Bay.

Tigress fiddled with her tail in embarrassment.

"No. Possible. Way." Said Viper in complete shock.

"Yes. I'm done lying to you."

"No!"

"I would die for him in a heartbeat! You saw how I broke that night in Gongmen!"

"Just No!"

"Will you quit being so dense! You were the one insisting I liked him in the first place!"

"But to actually hear you admit it! I mean forgive everyone for thinking you were made of steel and stone. Your 'reputation' remember? What's Po's favorite word? Hardcore?"

Tigress sighed. "He just says that. He always knew who I was, somehow. "

"Is that why you… "

"That and a thousand other things, yes… and I'm going to drop dead from shame if you don't cut this out." Tigress crossed her arms over her chest.

"Like what other things?"

"Ugh. Isn't it obvious? He's not nearly as dumb as I used to think. He enjoys my company, no, he practically _idolizes _me. And no matter what I do he forces me to have fun with him -I had practically forgotten what that was until he showed up. Now I act like a fool when he's around!"

"Awww, c'mon, everyone likes it when you loosen up."

"Hmph! Whatever! He's got a stronger character than anyone else I've ever met. He cooks like a fiend! Do you think Shifu would have changed a bit without him? Po's given me a father! He's everything I'm not! He's going to be the greatest warrior in all of China, we do have a lot in common…and… " Tigress looked off uncomfortably to the side. "and is he not cute? "

Viper giggled. "I can't believe you can even say that word!"

"Isn't he?" Demanded Tigress threateningly.

"Of course he is."

Tigress nodded in affirmation, as if to say 'you're darn right he is.'

"And then there's the things I can't even explain! I can't seem to go a day without missing him! And the eyes…"

"Wow. You've got it bad." Stated Viper.

"Like I don't know that!"

"No, like, get secretly married and elope bad."

Tigress covered her face with a paw in despair.

"It's just awful."

"Well… have you talked to him about this, like at all?"

"Madness! I can't do that!"

"Of course you can! You two are so close! Po would understand, and everything will work out."

Tigress's expression twisted into confusion.

"I take everything back! You are crazy! How could something like this work out? There are a thousand reasons it wouldn't! Nothing ever _works out_ for me like that."

Viper was treading on dangerous ground. She wanted so badly just to tell Tigress about what Po had told Crane, but she couldn't betray her friends so easily. Sure, perhaps it would help them in the end, but would anyone ever trust her again? Viper had too much honor to lie and spread the secrets of others, although it tore her apart to see her friends in such a situation. Who was she to play matchmaker anyway? She decided to try another tactic, and returned to the rock she had been coiled on earlier.

"And why not? You two are perfect for each other."

"I'm his friend, a very good friend. I'm his hero. I'm grateful for that, but I could never be more. You know full well telling him would complicate everything."

"And how's that."

"You honestly don't think he'd be the slightest bit unsettled? You think we could just go on being friends?"

"This is Po! Even if by some miracle he wasn't dying to be with you, he'd love and respect you just the same."

"You don't know that. I'm a Tiger. He's a Panda. That just doesn't happen! Ever!"

"Well there just aren't many Tigers or Pandas! C'mon you see odd couples all the time. It does to happen!"

Tigress obviously was not convinced, but Viper wouldn't give up – she was having a ball.

"My mother used to have a saying about this: _If a guy-friend can't understand and respect your feelings, he really wasn't a worthy friend in the first place."_

Viper whipped her tail into the water.

"I've seen this happen plenty of times, and Po is more than a worthy friend to everyone. He'd get it, and nothing would change for worse."

Tigress flicked out her claws, examining them. "But honestly, how could he, or for that matter anyone, find me attractive? Even Tiger men don't exactly go for 'burly and willful' do they?"

Viper burst out laughing, falling over into the water backwards.

At this Tigress instantly turned sour and growled menacingly. "Well it's not as if I can do anything about it!" Her voice was like acid and she gritted her teeth.

Viper stifled a few more laughs, and was quick to reply before she got clawed. "No no no! It's not that! It's just funny because you're the prettiest thing in the valley and you don't even know it!"

This initially took Tigress off guard, but she soon returned to her former attitude.

"Ha! As if! Certainly never heard that one before. Maybe the most _fearsome_ thing in the valley. Or the _strongest _thing in the valley. At least I can stand behind those."

Viper giggled. Poor Tigress! Viper did her best to shore up her feline friend's confidence.

"That too! I mean go figure- everyone's too busy fearing you to notice your natural beauty. You never even need makeup."

"You think Po notices?" Asked Tigress, suddenly hopeful.

"You say that like you've never seen him gawking at you."

"Gawking?"

"Oh please Tigress! If you weren't so focused in the swinging clubs of oblivion you'd look up and catch Po staring. It happens all the time."

"Po does that with everyone. He's crazy about Kung-Fu."

"But he does it all the time to you."

"Again. It's the Kung-Fu, not my looks."

"He loves both."

"Whatever you say." Said Tigress, trailing off. _"Is this really happening right now?" _Tigress thought to herself. Ten minutes ago she wouldn't have believed she could engage in such ridiculous conversation.

"Besides. Po's not the only factor here! As the protectors of the Valley, and of China, we're too busy to entertain distracting relationships."

"Oh please!" rebutted Viper. "As if Kung-fu masters do _nothing_ that distracts them from duty."

"It'd be a weakness, affecting battle decisions and inviting exploitation by our enemies."

"You two beat Shifu together. If you ask me it's a strength. And the thought of one of you being held captive… it's ridiculous. It's too late for you two not to care about each other anyway."

"There's another thing. Shifu would never tolerate it."

"He's your dad now, so you have to make him."

"What!?" Exclaimed Tigress.

"Hardly any parent approves of a new couple."

This banter went on for a few minutes. It seemed Viper had an answer to every one of Tigress's points. Tigress was getting frustrated.

"So say, by some wild miracle, we get together. What if I hurt him? Break his heart? Ruin everything? There'd be no going back."

"You've done you're best to hurt him already! And look how things turned out. Po's a tough guy, give him that."

"This is hopeless."

"Tigress, it's the opposite. You're just going to have to tell him."

"I don't have to do anything."

"The dragon and the tiger... yin and yang… together forever. " Said Viper dreamily.

Tigress put her paws over her ears.

"Alright! I can't talk about this anymore! It's time I turned the tables."

Viper looked surprised. "What are you talking about?"

Tigress's eyes narrowed, and she folded her hands as if plotting.

"It's high time you told me who you've fallen for… and I have my suspicions."

Now Viper was incredulous. "That's just ridiculous!"

"It's not ridiculous. Or crazy. And you're not going anywhere until you tell me." Scolded Tigress.

The two of them went on like that late into the night, speaking of battles past, sharing secrets, even sharing stories. Neither of them regretted their decision to have some "girl-talk," and one of the two now had some serious food for thought. In the meantime the men of the Jade Palace returned to the dorms, and to their surprise they were the first ones to go to bed. Girls' night out indeed!

In case you habitually skip the bold fonted author's note, let me remind you to review this chapter. It took hours to write this, and it would take you ten seconds to tell me if you liked it or not. Even if you're a guest(you don't have to sign in). Pretty please with a cherry on top?

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**The story and characters of KFP are the brainchild of dozens of professional storywriters/artists working together in concert. If I could even come close to touching that level of awesome, then I'd give myself a pat on the back. It's been a real journey writing this little novella, and I'm sad that it will soon be over. But I'm glad that all you readers have walked along with me. **

**It's great looking at the story stats and seeing how many different people have read my stuff. I think I have readers from just about every country that has internet! **

**I'll update the thing with corrections and improve some scenes after I post the last chapter, but after that it will fade into the obscurity of the fanfiction archives. Maybe every once in a while I'll check back on it with fond remembrance. "Wow!" I'll think. "I can't believe I wrote this! I had way too much free time!" Or maybe even "**_**What a load of garbage!" **_**That'll be great. **

**Maybe KFP 3 will have some scenes like mine, and we'll all be like "called it!" That'll be the day. **

**Thanks for reading everybody. I'll get that next chapter done soon. **


	9. The Journey Home

**Responses to comments: I feel like i haven't been giving some of the comments I've received enough response. But know that they are uber appreciated and will seriously help me touch up this story after I publish the final chapter. I'm going to re-edit the whole story and put in some recommendations/change scenes with reviewer input once I finish this first draft. If you haven't mentioned a flaw or something you want improvement in I'm all ears. **

**-There were a couple comments on my writing process/ how I found inspiration for the story. I typed up a good two-page response and then my harddrive crashed and I had to replace it. So yeah. Sorry. But to sum things up I wish I could get an answer to that question from every author of every story I've ever read. I wish J.R.R. Tolkien, John Stienbeck, and J.K. Rowling would all sit down and give me a lecture on good writing process. The only advice I can give on writing process (and I'm no authority on the matter) is to imitate and learn from your reading experience. Learn to spell. Read famous novels. Take descriptive and artistic designs and adapt them for your own purposes. True creativity often begins with imitation. **

**As far as inspiration... this is a fanfic so I already had that. I currently find myself wishing I could have devoted some sort of creative energy towards my own storyline (*Sob). I think the reason KFP makes such great fanfic base material is because the characters are dynamic and complex. Almost anyone can relate to at least one of them. Especially with Tigress. (*Sobs again) I'm sure anyone on this site knows someone who can relate to that tragedy. I know plenty of people who were never told they were loved/ or were loved at all as children. Who were orphans. Who were beaten or oppressed or rejected. What can I say? It's a very common human theme. Makes me cry manly tears. **

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**IMPORTANT STORY INFO: **Once again this is not the last update. Sorry about that. I'm a bastard, I know. I wanted this to be it but I didn't have the time to proofread the other half of this chapter yet. School's been crazy but I'll post the last half of the last chapter in several days or so after I've had time to look at it some more. And _THEN, Finally, _after like seven months this story will be done. But don't get to the end of this chapter and think I made a horribly depressing end to this story like something out of "A Separate Peace."

This thing'll be finished sometime next week. By Monday or something. I PROMISE. Besides, 17,000 words is a lot to read through for a single chapter update on . I'm looking out for you guys too. This story's already too long. It's like the word equivalent of an actual book now.

On that note _Holy cow I've written a full-length book_! Like a couple-hundred page book! Who cares if it's some soppy fanfiction romance? The category of accomplishment itself is enough to give me some serious good feelings.

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Anyway, enjoy:

**Chapter Seven: The Journey Home (Part one)**

Rosy, warm light bathed the inside of the dorms the next morning. It was the prelude to the sunrise; a sort of reddish glow that filtered through the windows and painted the rice paper doors.

The sun would rise early that day, a sure sign spring would soon give way to summer. Soon the nights would be short and the days long and hot. There would be more time to train, and more time to fight. Who needed sleep anyway?

Crane's door slid open slowly and he stood at his door patiently as he had done countless times before. Routine was a comforting thing in a life as dangerous and unpredictable as his. He yawned and collected himself, still in the process of waking up. Viper's door then opened across the hall and after fiddling a bit with the flowers on her head she flashed Crane her usual good morning smile.

Tigress then jumped out into the hallway and quickly assumed her typical statue-like posture with her arms crossed behind her back. In all his years at the palace Crane had never seen her deviate from this habit as much as a step. What he would give to see her trip, or even stumble! Remembering something, Crane tilted his head at Viper in a somewhat accusatory manner. He shifted his eyes from her to Tigress and back again. He thought he had a good notion of what had transpired the night before, but Viper shook her head in a most reassuring way.

Then a loud "THUMP!" came from Po's room. Either he had fallen out of bed or had leapt out. After a minute he quickly stepped into his doorway. His expression made it apparent that it was a "leap out of bed" kind of day. He wasn't the kind of panda that took things for granted.

Po gave a polite nod of his head to Tigress, who followed suit from across the hall. Then he gave a wave to the two other early birds (one of which was actually a bird). Po was a pretty readable guy and it was obvious he had big plans.

Soon the other two Kung-Fu masters emerged from their respective rooms, and moments after that Shifu stepped into the hall.

"Booooooonnnnggg!"

"Good morning master!"

"And good morning students!"

The first half of the day ran like so many had before. There was a quick but enjoyable breakfast. Shifu gave a few hours of instruction in the training hall. Then Po and the five worked on some scrolls for a bit. Everyone was pleasantly surprised when a group of bandits had the nerve to start trouble in town. The problem (more like practice) was taken care of with a great deal of enthusiasm and showmanship. The early afternoon was spent carting off the baddies to labor camp, then grabbing a totally awesome lunch at Dragon warrior noodles and Tofu.

Then, as per tradition, Po and the five ran up to the palace to give their report to Shifu. Shifu awaited their summary of the battle in the palace courtyard. Good old routine!

While the five discussed the finer points of de-banditing Po took Shifu aside for a little chat. Shifu, grandmaster of foresight as well as Kung-Fu gave Po his answer before the Panda had even said a word.

"Yes. It's about time you saw to our guest. Just try to be back by the evening gong."

Po bowed low and long with his hands clasped. "You're the best Shifu! I was gonna give him a tour." Po said excitedly.

"I mean, if that's okay?" He quickly added.

Shifu pretended to be unconcerned, giving a half-hearted smile. "I'm sure he'd be delighted… and that you'll be extra careful not to break anything."

"Don't worry about it! My stuff-breaking days are totally over." Po said as he began to walk away.

Shifu stroked his little beard in thought. _"Two pandas? Running around touching the relics? He'd better watch it!" _

Po gave his pals a wave goodbye before running off towards the guest hall.

;/

Po gave the heavy oaken door a few solid knocks.

"Xi…. Er….. Dad?"

There was no reply for a few seconds and Po wondered where his dad could have possibly run off to.

"A moment!" Came a voice from the room.

Po waited patiently outside the door, fiddling with his thumbs.

The door creaked open and Xi poked his big head out the door. He wore the same green cloak and had his big hammer in hand.

"Po! I was hoping I'd see you today!" He was obviously excited.

Po was excited too, though unsure if a warhammer was the best thing to be carrying around town.

"Uh… I doubt you'll need that." Said Po pointing to the hammer.

"What, you mean this?" Xi said as he hefted the weapon. "It's an heirloom! It was my father's before mine, his father's before his, and before that-"

"Alright! You can take it along! Just be careful not to knock anything over." Po said defensively. Xi shut the door behind him and the two pandas began to walk out of the guest hall.

"Enjoying your stay?" Po ventured to say.

"Oh Absolutely! I hardly have to lift a finger to get a bite to eat around here. Actually I didn't even have to get out of bed! But I think I've sat around enough today."

Po didn't envy the palace servants that had catered to his father's appetite.

"Glad to hear. Shifu gave me the rest of the day off and I figured I'd give you a tour."

"Of what?" Asked Xi.

"How about everything?" Suggested Po.

"An excellent idea! Lead the way!"

The first place the pandas stopped, of course, was the Jade Palace. That in itself could have been a day-long trip, but Po made sure not to agonize over every single antique. He didn't take his dad to the archives and show him his favorite scrolls, or even take down every single pointy-object in the weapons room. Po played it safe and only elaborated on the most awesome things of all. But there were still a lot of those.

"And that's the helmet that Fei the conqueror wore in his final battle against the master's council! You can totally see the dent in it where master Rhino bashed his head in!" Po explained to Xi.

Po and Xi then entered the main hall of the palace in all its glory.

"The sword of heroes! So sharp you can cut yourself just by looking at it!" Po prevented his father from leaning forward to get a closer look. "Careful! I'm not kidding!" Then the two moved on.

Po decided to just skip the urn of whispering warriors altogether. It was better to be safe than sorry. But as they walked by the long handle of Xi's hammer bumped its display pedestal, causing the urn to wobble precariously. An angry moan came from the Tenshu army inside.

"Sorry!" Whispered Po. He shot his dad a dirty look. "Do you have any idea how many times I've broken that thing?!"

Po's father was too busy accepting that the legendary urn actually existed to show much concern.

Po decided not to dwell on the issue and kept walking.

"And this… is where the dragon scroll used to be!"

The two of them looked up at the magnificent gilded dragon in wonder.

There was a creaking noise from the other end of the hall as one of the large front doors opened. The sound of a conversation entered the hallway, before Shifu and the emperor's messenger walked in. Obviously the loon was checking in on things again. He seemed to visit every week or so, no longer bothering to bring the royal guard. Shifu and Xui kept talking as they walked down the hall. Po figured they were busy and pointed out a couple tapestries to his dad.

As the loon walked he couldn't help but be distracted by the large figure standing next to Po.

First Xui thought it might be a moon bear. But no…. too large. An exotic species from a foreign land? From behind it certainly looked like a panda. Though obviously there was only one panda anymore so it couldn't be that.

"Greetings Dragon Warrior! I'm glad I ran into you before I left." Po and his father turned away from a portrait of Oogway to face Xui and Shifu.

The loon practically choked on his tongue when he saw Xi. He paled too, but it wasn't visible through his jet black feathers. Always professional, Xi pretended he had something caught in his throat and quickly regained his composure. _"A PANDA!?" _He thought. "_How can this be? Hopefully he doesn't recognize me…" _

Xui cleared his throat, then spoke.

"And I see you have a guest! May I ask who this is?"

Po put his hands on his hips proudly. "Xui, meet my dad!"

Shifu grimaced in horror as he realized what was going on. What had he been thinking letting these two see each other? What terrible luck that Xui had stopped by today!

Xui bowed in courtesy, doing his best to hide his immense discomfort. "It is an honor to meet the father of the esteemed Dragon Warrior! I am –"

"-a servant of the emperor." Interrupted Xi tersely. He scowled and rested the handle of his war-hammer on the tiled floor.

There was a terrible silence as the loon slowly rose from his bow. He was always deft and brilliant in conversation. He could soothe angry diplomats with but a thought. But here he was at a loss. In front of him stood living proof of one of the greatest failures of his master's career. And that included him too.

Xui's beak hung open like a loose hinge for a few seconds.

Po turned to his dad, open-mouthed as well. "Not cool! This isn't _a _servant. This is like _the_ servant!"

Po then turned and bowed to Xui. "I am so, so sorry! He just had no idea who you were, and-"

"I know exactly who he is." Xi said, interrupting Po.

Po bit his lip. Shifu clenched his staff so tightly it creaked. Xui, on the other hand, had used the last few seconds to figure out how to do damage control on the situation. "No apologies are necessary, Po. If you'll excuse me I have some matters to discuss with the grandmaster."

The loon quickly walked towards the far side of the hall, with Shifu following closely.

Po, meanwhile, practically dragged Xi out of the Palace and the entranceway.

"What was that all about? You could get me in some serious trouble!" Exclaimed Po.

"That loon is the mouth of the emperor!" Stated Xi venemously.

"Exactly!" Said Po, exasperated.

His father did not care.

"The same emperor that did not force Shen to stand trial for what he'd done! The same emperor that stood and watched as our people were hunted down!"

Po did not agree with that at all. "It's not like that! The emperor can't run every city in China!"

Xi pointed his finger at Po, then said:

"But he knew what was happening! He let his friendship with the peacock family cloud his judgment! Shen should have been executed, not exiled. It was in exile that he continued to hunt us! As if anyone cared about pandas! The emperor let Shen roam free, robbing the countryside and gaining power. It was almost his undoing as well!"

"Hey, look, I'm sure it was all just a big mistake. The emperor's not a bad guy." Po argued.

Xi obviously didn't take that statement seriously, scowling angrily.

Po continued making his case none the less. "He even gave me this robe! I'm a servant of the emperor too! And a servant of all China!"

"You're a tool for him! An asset!" Grumbled Xi. Po's expression fell. Then the older panda realized how rude he was being.  
"Forgive me. I should not have said that."

Xi began to walk down the steps that led to the palace courtyard. Then he stopped and looked out at the valley far below them. It was a beautiful place for a baby panda to grow up; a better place than Xi could have ever provided. Xi cleared his throat.

"Perhaps you are right about everything. About giving others a chance. It is you, after all, who grew up on the outside of our society."

Po put a hand on his father's shoulder. "Forgiving isn't easy, but it's the only way to move forward. "

"You would even forgive Shen?" Proposed Xi.  
"I did. It helped me a lot." Declared Po.

Xi wasn't exactly sure what convinced him just then but he felt a great deal better. He smiled broadly, regarding his son more fondly.

"Now you… are just far too wise for your years…"

Po chuckled. "Peh! As if! Now c'mon we've got a lot of ground to cover!"

/

After the two of them stopped by a few more destinations around the palace complex they dropped in on the Valley of Peace. The sight of the new panda, dressed in regal clothing and carrying a hammer, created quite a stir downtown. It didn't take long for rumors to spread all over. It was like a wildfire. Some people thought that the Dragon warrior was but one of an unstoppable army of pandas, all as bodacious and skilled in combat as he was. Others correctly guessed that the new panda was a relative. As a side effect, more than one person realized that Po was the only panda they had ever seen before that day. "_Now that's odd…" _they would think. But if Po had panda relatives, then why had he been raised by a goose?

Po had planned to visit Dragon Warrior noodles and tofu that day, but he procrastinated. He took his father all over the town center, avoiding the noodle shop entirely. He was not looking forward to what he knew he had to do. Po considered not visiting the shop at all.

"_Maybe I'll put that off until tomorrow. Xi hardly got here yesterday, it'd be weird introducing him now."_

"Will I have the pleasure of meeting your father today?" Asked Xi, after Po had finished showing him almost everything in town.

"_Darn…"_

"Uh.. yeah. His place is just around the corner!" Po replied sheepishly.

"Excellent! I've been looking forward to this!"

"_And I haven't…." _thought Po. He wondered how his poor old dad would take it.

The two of them walked into the noodle shop. Thankfully there were only a few customers. It was that awkward time of day where a meal made either a very late lunch or a ridiculously early dinner. Xi stopped and waited near the entrance, amusing himself with the wall decorations. He couldn't help but be laugh at the fact that Po's old mop was on display.

Po walked up to the counter, waving to some pigs sitting in a corner of the restaurant. The elder Ping was prepping a pot on the stove, with his back to the dining area.

"Hey dad! I got some time off today!" Said Po.

Mr. Ping jumped in surprise, but hardly turned. He went back to the pot. Nothing could come between him and noodles sometimes, but he was obviously very happy. "PO! What a wonderful surprise! You're usually training so hard this time of the week!"

Po leaned on the counter, unsure how to broach the awkward subject. "Yeaaah… but I really wanted to come down and … visit you. I only get to see you like twice a week! It's awful!"

Mr. Ping tossed a few spices in his big pot. He stirred twice clockwise, then thrice counter-clockwise, as if the direction of stirring actually mattered. Actually to someone like him it probably did. He set down his ladle and looked over his shoulder at Po.

"It IS awful! But you're such a good son sneaking out of work to visit me! Why don't you get over here and we can see who can dice a carrot faster!"

Po picked out his old knife from a shelf under the counter and stood next to his dad.

"Remember when I taught you how to do this? When you were nine?"

"Yeah, like it was yesterday!"

"Remember when you accidently cut off my fore-feathers!"

"Like it was yesterday..." repeated Po with a bit less enthusiasm.

"Remember when you outdiced me for the first time!"

Po became confused. "Like it was…. well… actually, no. Wow I did that?"

Mr. Ping playfully slapped Po's arm. "NO! I was hoping you would have by now. And I'm getting older too! Remember: Tap and slide! Tap and slide!"

"Uhggg.. like I've never heard that one before…." Groaned Po.

Mr. Ping got out the carrots. "Obviously not! Because you still can't beat me!"

He laid out the rules, a feather lifted. "We'll do five carrots each. Quartered and even cubes. Stacked on the board neatly!….Are you ready?"

Po finished honing his knife on the strop. "When is the Dragon Warrior not ready?"

"Three…

Two….

One….

GO!"

And in another three seconds it was over. As always Po had just barely managed to lose.

"HAH! Dragon warrior or not you're still too slow for me!" Mr. Ping shouted victoriously then slammed his knife into the table so that it stuck in, quivering like an arrow.

Po dumped the carrots in the pot. "Yeah… yeah…. Gloat while you can old timer!"

Mr. Ping just smiled, then turned to stir the pot. "Ah don't worry about it Po. You've been away from the kitchen for too long, that's all. You'll do it one of these days, and besides I'd much rather tell you a story than gloat!."

Mr. Ping began to tell Po about his trip to the market the other day, not noticing Po was paying almost no attention.

"There were all these strange noodle-makers from other provinces…"

Po snuck a glance over the counter. Xi still stood by the entrance patiently. He was getting odd stares from passerby.

Mr. Ping prattled on. "-I finally decided to get the usual; whole wheat noodles with a touch of semolina and barley. There's nothing like the tried and tested recipe! It makes the best texture, that's for sure. OH! And I almost forgot! There are some people that are going retro with all millet noodles! MILLET! Can you believe it? I haven't had those since I was seven! Eh…. Po?"

Po turned back to face Mr. Ping. "Sorry Dad! I… should have mentioned before. There's kinda someone I want you to meet."

Mr. Ping stuck his neck around Po to look into the restaurant. Po waved Xi over and the panda walked to the counter. Xi had to duck his head to get a good view of the kitchen. The goose dropped the ladle in shock.

"You… you finally came…"

Xi raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am?"

It was as if Mr. Ping had been preparing for this moment for decades. "Don't be silly! The resemblance is unmistakable!"

"It is?" Said Po, completely unconvinced.

Mr. Ping kept talking, fiddling with his wings in front of him nervously. "I put out fliers for weeks! But no one came…. You certainly took your time!"

"Dad!" Said Po, shocked.

Xi shook in mirth, obviously not offended.

"I'll be right back!" The goose quickly ran up the stairs and came down with a big box of things.

"Oh no...dad, don't…." Groaned Po.

"Oh yes! You don't think he would want to see these! "

"See what?" inquired Xi.

"Please! Step inside the kitchen!"

As Xi stooped inside he was handed several pictures.

Mr. Ping pulled out a couple pictures and handed them to Xi. "I had this portrait of Po done when I first adopted him! Isn't that cute! And this was his first day of school! And here's me giving him a piggy-back ride!"

Xi regarded them with great interest, trying to disregard the thoroughly embarrassed Po nearby. "These are perfect! It's like going back twenty years!"

Mr. Ping took out several more paintings.

"Isn't it great! I have a friend who does portraits! Here, keep those! I have copies of everything!"

"Thank you!"

"The name is Wei, by the way." Said the goose as he smiled broadly. He turned to his adopted son. "Po! Do you think you could pull out some crates to sit on?"

Po got the crates, and they all sat down. Although soon Po found himself having to tend to the soup. And then he had to take care of a few orders from early customers. And In fifteen minutes he found himself running the whole restaurant! He didn't complain.

All the while his two fathers chatted away. They went on for hours and Po was too busy taking care of excited customers to prevent his dad from completely embarrassing him. He thought about just closing up the shop, but Po figured that it might better if he didn't hear what Mr. Ping was telling Xi anyway. Things hadn't panned out at all like he had expected, but at least it was for the better. It was as if the two of them had known each other for years. That was great and all, but it was close to sundown and Po didn't want to be late getting back to the palace.

Po glanced back into the kitchen after dropping off some soup at one of the tables. As Po entered the kitchen he caught a bit of the conversation.

"- And that's why we pandas never bother building anything out of bamboo!" His father was saying. Then Xi noticed Po standing awkwardly behind him.

Po set down a few plates near the wash-trough. He figured that he'd just be frank about things.

"I don't wanna, y'nnow, ruin your fun, but I've got to be back at the palace pretty soon."

Xi was instantly apologetic. "Oh! I lost track of time! And I'm sure the Dragon Warrior has more important things to do than wash cookware!"

"Naaah I already told you. I can't help it. You can always come back to the shop and visit when it's not busy anyway. Right?"

Mr. Ping stood from the crate he sat on. "And you can always count on a bowl of noodles!"

Xi laughed. "Normally I'd love to, but In all honesty I haven't got a penny!"

Mr. Ping waved his wing to and fro as if the notion of paying was ridiculous. "Oh please! You of all people don't need to pay."

Po couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this statement.

"_Wow….he doesn't even do that for Shifu!" _He thought.

Xi bowed as low as he could to Mr. Ping, then turned to leave. He walked past all the curious people eating dinner, then waited at the entranceway. The long handle of his hammer almost tripped a couple people on the way over. Po started to walk out of the kitchen, but before he'd made it into the dining room he did a quick double check on his other dad. Mr. Ping was still sitting in the kitchen, sifting through some old pictures. He was still smiling, but behind that expression was something else., a little twinge of sadness maybe? He did not notice that Po hadn't yet walked out.

Po picked up his dad, pictures and all, and gave him a good old bear hug. The goose gave a honk of surprise. "AH! Po?"

"Just wanted you to know I'm your son. Again! Thanks for talking to Xi."

"Of course I know that! But you're no goose either!"

"What?"

"I'm so glad this happened Po! I know it's no fun for you being the only panda in the world. Now you're not! And now you have three fathers!"

"Three?"

Po set Mr. Ping down. The goose tapped his beak with a feather. "Oh! Sorry. No... no nonono you're right. I don't think master Shifu counts. And he's terrible at mahjong! Peh! Grandmaster indeed!"

"Ha! Ooookaaay dad."

Mr. Ping picked up his ladle and went over to a roiling pot of soup. "And although I would like it if you starting staying here again, you should really get going. It was very nice meeting your father! Tell him to stop by some time soon; before I open for lunch would be wonderful!"

"Will do Dad..." Po went to sniff the soup, but was driven off by Mr. Ping's ladle.

"Out! No time for that! There are hungry stomachs at the Jade Palace that you have to take care of!"

THWACK went the ladle against Po's head. "OWWW ALRIGHT! Take it easy." The mighty Dragon warrior made a hasty retreat out of the kitchen.

Mr. Ping smiled lovingly as he watched Po leave with Xi. Then he jumped back to tend to his soup. Maybe he'd try putting some all-millet noodles on the menu for a change. It'd get some great nostalgia from the older clientele.

It would go great with whatever Po had put together while he was talking to Xi. It wasn't the classic recipe, but it certainly smelled right. Wei Ping was a picky goose, and he knew when something had the right aroma. He put some finishing touches into the mix. A little more ginger here and a wee pinch of roasted tumeric there... This thing was starting to become some serious stuff. Tonight would be absolutely gastronomic!

Mr. Ping dished out a couple servings to customers, then had one himself. It was a pleasant, rich, and slightly spicy flavor. Did Po even do that on purpose? He picked up one of the old paintings he'd gotten out of the box and looked it over as he slurped some noodles. At least his empty-nest syndrome was dwarfed by his pride. Yes, he was very happy for Po.

"_dreams really do come true.._."

/

/

Far above Dragon Warrior noodles and Tofu the emperor's personal messenger shot like an arrow through the sky. He was glad that he had at least brought his personal guards and attendants on this trip. They would come in handy tonight.

Behind the loon ten other birds flew in a classic "V" formation. At a signal the last two broke off and shot in opposite directions. One would go to the city of Fei-sa, forty miles west. Another would go to Shwe-Zinan, seventy miles east.

Xui pumped his wings powerfully, going even faster. He was furious that Shifu had not even bothered to mention the new panda... Xi? Was it?

This changed everything! The Dragon Warrior's father would have been better off dead. Better that then fill China's hero with anti-imperialist sentiment! Xui had practically interrogated Shifu after seeing Po's father. If there really were other pandas there was a damned good chance the Dragon Warrior would leave to visit them. Or worse.

Xui signaled two more of his comrades. One would head North, another South.

The warriors of the Jade Palace obviously didn't understand how many pieces on the Emperor's war map were dependent on their status alone. If only the Dragon Warrior knew that _he, a single animal, _had his own piece on that map. Troop movements were just the beginning. What would happen when all of China knew that the Dragon Warrior had decided to just _take a vacation?_ _OR WORSE. _It was outrageous! Xui would do a quick flight to the imperial city to spread the news, then jump back to the Valley of Peace to watch as the situation developed. His majesty would not like this very much.

_/_

_/_

The next week wasn't so different from the day of Xi's arrival. Po managed to balance his Dragon-Warrior duties with getting to know the second father he'd never knew he had. Po would train like crazy until the middle of the day, then jump out to spend time with Xi. It was as if the first day had broken the oddity of the situation completely. They would go for long walks down in the Valley that would last all afternoon (and sometimes into the night). Xi made it his business to tell Po everything about Panda culture and history, and Po made it his business to tell Xi everything about Kung-Fu. He even tried to teach the older Panda a few moves. Po figured that his talent must run in the family. After a few hours and a couple pulled muscles, however, it became obvious that this was not the case. Po didn't want to push the issue by using food as a motivation but he couldn't help but be curious.

Po also went ahead and introduced his father to everyone who asked, so now the entire Valley knew what was going on. In hindsight this have not been such an awesome idea but Po was too happy to do much thinking. Suddenly he wasn't that one panda that stuck out in a crowd. The two pandas still stuck out, of course, but somehow it felt different. Po couldn't exactly explain it. Having another panda around made everything relative in a really cool way. "_I'm not fat... that guy's just skinny." _He caught himself thinking. Or another time when he was buying some lunch for his father he though " _These people have like no appetite...and they don't know how to cook." _

Po couldn't help but wonder how awesome it would be to be part of an entire village of pandas, to not stick out at all. To get everything in heaping portions.

To get to eat as much bamboo as one wanted and not be looked at strangely. To bounce stomachs instead of shaking hands (though that sounded wierd)

_"I wonder if Xi was kidding about that..." _Thought Po. Still it was something to think about. Po especially liked the idea of fat appreciation. Although now he was starting to get pretty skinny by panda standards. Maybe Pandas weren't even supposed to be skinny? But whether they were supposed to or not the Dragon Warrior can't leap mountains when his stomach sticks out of his robe.

Po figured he'd keep the stomach he had left and focus more on building his fantastically bodacious Dragon-Warrior muscles. Besides, Mantis was right- he needed to keep at least little stomach for his belly attack.

The rest of the warriors at the Jade Palace, meanwhile, were getting somewhat anxious. Everyone was initially very happy for Po, what with him not being the last panda on earth, but those feelings soon gave way to worry. How long would the stranger stay at the palace, and what were his plans for Po? How many times would Po skip cooking for them? Would Po actually consider taking an extended leave? That just didn't seem like him.

But it was obvious there was something special between Xi and his long lost son. What would happen? None of the five were rude enough to pry just yet. They watched and waited, hoping things would go back to normal.

And every day the red piece of pumice was alone out in the stone circle behind the palace.

/

/

/

"And you don't wanna cut the cucumber too small or else it makes the broth mushy." Said Po as he diced some vegetables. He was showing Xi how to make a mean batch of secret ingredient soup. Xi was family, after all, so why shouldn't he know the recipe?

It was the least Po could do after Xi showed him _his _favorite recipes (which were always something deep-fried, saucy, and totally awesome). Po liked the panda approach to cooking very much.

Xi sat in a chair nearby, paying close attention. Then a gruff voice came from the dorm hallway. It was Shifu. He stood near the door, peachwood staff in hand.

"Po, a word?"

"Master Shifu!" Po stuck his knife in a yam, then walked over and bowed to his master. Shifu led Po out of the building and into the palace courtyard.

"What's up?" Asked Po.

It almost looked as if the red panda didn't want to say anything at first. But he turned to face Po.

"Po...I'll just be frank. Everyone at the palace is very happy for you and your father. This is truly a wonderful turn of events..."

Master Shifu tilted his head to the side. "...But Xi cannot stay here indefinitely. And you have a job to do."

Po sighed. "Yeah... yeah I know. Do I have to be the one to break the news to him?"

"Po..."

"Okay! Uhg... I guess It was great while it lasted. He mentioned that he'd have to get going soon anyway."

"Then it's just as well. As I understand, your father has responsibilities of his own to tend to. I will see you tomorrow morning." The grandmaster turned to walk back to his private study. _"That went well. My worries about Po were apparently unjustified... as usual. He's really a smart lad, deep down." _

Po was very conflicted. He couldn't just toss Xi out! Maybe Xi could stay at the noodle shop... but he did have to get back home too. The hidden panda settlement of Tsu-da was a long way away. But the past week had been something amazing, and Po didn't want to let that feeling go just yet. Had it really only been a week? Something about Xi just made things seem so right, like he finally knew his place in the world. And Po had already thought he knew his place a couple times already. First he was a soup-maker. Then a he was the man of his dreams, the hero of China. And now...? Had he really ever known his place? There were still a lot of questions, and Po couldn't just sit and watch as the opportunities to find the answers glided by. He had to stick his foot in the door on this one, he could feel it. He could feel it just like he felt it when he challenged Tai-Lung, or when he stood up to Shen. He could feel it like when he walked out on the winter feast, and when he tried catching cannon-balls. Shifu was wise, but it Po had to control his own destiny.

"Wait! Shifu!" Called Po

"Yes?"

"I...I'm going with him! I have to!"

Shifu was incredulous. "What?! Are you!? ... Po you can't!"

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll run back! It shouldn't take more than a couple months! Maybe even less!"

Shifu hit the ground with his staff.

"You are the Dragon Warrior!"

"And I'm also a Panda! I have to go!"

A thoroughly horrified Shifu strutted back to Po, almost ready to berate him. But then he held back, and was solemn.

"Shifu... I'm sorry." Po felt like he had ripped someone's heart out.

Shifu groaned. "Sleep on this decision. I'll talk to you again tomorrow morning."

The grandmaster of Kung-Fu briskly walked away.

/

/

/

The cat was out of the bag, so to speak. Rumors leaked out of the Jade Palace like it was a sieve. Xi was overjoyed at the decision and he pored over some maps with Po that night. He had hoped Po would choose to make the journey on his own, and his patience had won out. They planned a glorious trip together and Po pushed down his concerns until later. The two would leave the day after tomorrow. There was no use in dragging things out. They packed loads of non-perishables for the journey. Po had a bright idea and dehydrated a bunch of soup mix in the oven. He packed it into little paper bags and added chopped up noodles. It would be a welcome treat on the road.

The Furious Five went into a trance-like state of shock that lasted all night. The subject of leaving was avoided entirely at dinner. Po had again chosen to dine with his father in the guest hall, and the five had to eat plainly. Mantis went through the five stages of grief, though he did his best not to show it.

It was hard to think about; two months without Po! He had become the glue that held everyone together. Things would not go back to the harsh way they were before he joined them, but it would be different all the same.

But still Po's comrades did not make a scene. They tried to support him as best as they could. This wasn't about them, after all. Po would come back soon. Wouldn't he?

/

The next morning Po gave Shifu a surprisingly resolute answer. He was going, and that was that. Everything was already packed and prepared.

Shifu did not offer argument or anger. He bowed to Po and somehow managed to respect the decision. After Shifu inspected one of Xi's maps he took his leave of the two pandas.

The Grandmaster of Kung-Fu went to meditate under the sacred peach tree, one of his favorite spots. For some reason this was everybody's favorite spot. He dropped his staff and lowered himself to the earth. He didn't bother to assume the proper posture. Instead he slouched against the tree and gazed up at its buds. Even then, the tree had not bloomed. _"What is going on around here?"_

Po entered the training hall a little late in the morning. The Five were already hard at work training. They jumped off of their respective obstacles and regarded Po near the entranceway. Po could tell from the looks he was getting that they were a bit chewed up over him, and he felt awful for it. They were his true family, only second to the goose that ran the noodle shop. Po knew he'd miss them like crazy in the weeks to come. He hoped they'd understand, because if they didn't it would tear him apart.

"Attack, if you dare!" Po shouted across the hall. His comrades did not hesitate long before obliging. It was the beginning of a fun day. The six of them forgot about what would happen tomorrow and just enjoyed their time together. They stayed in the hall much later than usual, and Po cooked them all a nice lunch that afternoon. They chose to eat out on the lawns and soak up the sun. Finally they did a few stretching routines after eating.

Po took the dishes back to the kitchen and washed them carefully. The five filtered out to relax or study. They would be okay in the end, Po knew. Po figured that he should go review maps and supplies with his dad before tomorrow morning. But then he had another idea.

He had taken training pretty lightly the last week, and it left him with more energy than usual. Po soon found himself walking on the path west of the palace. He took an old chip of jade out of his pocket and tossed it in the stone circle next to the path. To Po's surprise the piece of red pumice was already in the circle.

He continued walking until he reached the old iron wood grove. The sun was scattered by the leaves that rustled in the wind. Po could see old scars on many of the trunks. There were trees here and there that were completely torn through and decaying. They were relics of training long past, that of the mighty Tigress. This was where the leader of the Furious five had become as strong as steel. The cool factor was absolutely through the roof. Po also noticed, to his surprise, that there were trees freshly felled. The sap dripped like golden blood down the trunks, and the ground was littered with bits of pulp. The tree carcasses smelled rich and syrupy. He was a good decade away from being able to do such a thing.

It must be strange, to land such blows and feel nothing. To be so sturdy and strong that swords could be deflected like bamboo skewers. That one's flesh could turn instruments of tempered steel into mere toys. And yet Po knew he was hurting Tigress right now, for her to want to give in to fits of such destruction. She wasn't as much of a mystery anymore.

Po noticed Tigress leaning against a tree not twenty feet away. Her arms were crossed and her knuckles dirtied.

She smiled, obviously pleased he hadn't noticed her at first.

"So you decided to show up? These woods have been so lonely lately."

She was getting much more open, that much was sure.

"I know, I know... I've got to make up for this past week. You think you could help me out?"

"It'd be a pleasure."

They got right to business. First they did some tree-climbing, to develop agility, balance, and strength. Tigress leapt from branch to branch as Po did his best to keep up. They did upside-down sit ups while hanging onto branches from their feet, then began to run. It was a workout that Po liked to simply refer to as "The Tigress."

They would do as many repetitions of the hardest exercises that they could, then move on to something else. It left little time for one to catch their breath. Tigress would run extra long circuits while Po huffed up the mountain-side. When they got to push ups she would only use two fingers, while Po used his whole hands. Even then Po collapsed long before Tigress was finished. It was very hard for her to get tired, but she did her best to become exhausted whenever they trained. Po kept count as she did more two-finger pushups. "79... 80...81..." She was just unstoppable.

Po decided to give her more of a challenge and he stood on her back.

"Gah! Po! What are you doing?"

"It's like you said Tigress. When something becomes easy you should take it to the next level."

"_Cough_! It wasn't easy before! Now Get off my back."

"You did this to me once. What did you say? Oh! I know! One more."

"WHAT!?"

"One more."

Po certainly was not light, and Tigress had already begun to tire out. But she liked a challenge. She wasn't about to collapse in the dirt with a panda on top of her. And when she won this battle she was going to murder Po.

She shook and tensed, gasped and strained. Somehow she managed to just barely do it. And the second Po got off her back she made a swipe for his legs.

But Po had anticipated her anger. Actually he had counted on it, because it was fun as long as he didn't get hurt too bad.

He gave an exalted shout and took off running with Tigress hot on his tail. It was good she was somewhat out of breath because otherwise he'd have been a goner after thirty yards. As it was Po made it about a hundred until Tigress cornered him at the edge of a small lake. They were on a small cliff above a deep spot. Po glanced behind him.

"Oooo! That water's looks cold!" He said.

"Perfect!" Said Tigress with narrowed eyes as she kicked him in the chest. She made the mistake of doing it gently. He caught it and gave her a playful grin. Then to add on an insult he did an imitation of one of her roars.

"You don't have the guts." Tigress challenged.

"Ha! Don't be silly! If there's one thing I have Tigress, it's guts. You look like you could use a bath anyway."

"Wrong."

Tigress retracted her foot, taking Po with it. She pried off his hands and started swinging him around to throw. But just as she let go Po managed to grab her tail and yanked her into the lake along with him.

With a surprised shout they both landed in the water. It was _really _cold. Po started to make a break for the shore before Tigress had even surfaced. There was an angry roar behind him, and in a moment he was getting his head dunked and painfully scrubbed. Tigress shoved Po under the water, then made her way to shore. When Po got out he was roughly thrown in again.

Tigress stood by the side of the lake and watched Po drag himself onto shore a second time.

"That was... refreshing." Po gasped.

Tigress couldn't help but smile, no longer angry. Po had a way of doing that to her. "Indeed it was. And you were right about before. Thanks for the encouragement."

She laid down and sunned herself on the grass nearby. Po crawled out of the gravel and farther onto the shore before doing the same. He collapsed and rolled over on his back.

Tigress appeared quite relaxed, but her mind was in a state of conflict. Po was leaving tomorrow. He had actually had the willpower to stick it to Shifu and make the journey across China. She had seen this coming a long ways off, but that didn't make the situation any less terrible. If Po could do this, would he go even further? Would he drop his responsibilities as the Dragon Warrior and leave for good? It was almost inconceivable, unacceptable! Po had a much more important family here!

Tigress couldn't see Po doing such a thing, but she like she had before she admitted that the chance was there. She hadn't actually thought he'd go for a visit with his father, but he had jumped at the opportunity after only a week. There was a slim and horrible chance that tomorrow morning would be the last time she saw him.

Tigress weighed the consequences of revealing her feelings to Po then and there. It was the _last _moment she had with him alone. Before he found someone else, or left for good. She shuddered at the thought.

All it would take would be a few sentences. She could even beat around the bush a bit, or brush the subject and pretend to be joking around. There'd be no risk at all. Tigress looked over at Po. His eyes were closed but he grinned in delight as he soaked up the sun. His big fluffy chest rose and fell softly.

Before she even opened her mouth something shot through her veins and her heart beat frantically. It was like fight or flight syndrome, something Tigress hadn't felt in ages. _"How could I think of something so stupid! It'd be obvious and I'd look like a fool! Why is my heart-rate so high?!" _

She looked up at the clouds, thinking of a new strategy. If she was going to go forward and do this, she would do it like she did everything else; with strength, confidence, and bravery. Or was it courage this time? Had she really sunk so low?

Again she turned to face Po, words on the tip of her Tongue. She had a whole conversation planned out now. She wouldn't screw it up. She took a quick breath, then "... ... ... ... " Nothing!

It was like her voice box had seized up of its own accord. She tried again, frustrated, but still she couldn't do it. The better part of her was trying to fight its way out, but it met a wall of stone. Tigress wanted to say something, to say anything, but she literally couldn't, and it infuriated her to no end.

It was the power of habit, wasn't it? All her life she had been trained not to show weakness, to never give an enemy something to use against her. Her talent was a double-edged sword, and there was little she could do. A feeling of despair overcame the Tiger. She would never get another chance. But what could she do?

Tigress thought back to a few weeks prior, when her father had broken down in front of her. It had been so wild and unrestrained, as if Shifu had needed to fight a physical battle just to speak to her. The power of habit!

Why couldn't they all be open-hearted fools like Po? That buffoon didn't know how great he had it.

Tigress would not break down to get a point across. She could do better. She just had to take things in baby steps. That strategy had worked for her so far. She only needed more time. She needed to convince Po to stay a bit longer. Yes, it was selfish, but Tigress figured it was high time she put herself first for once.

"You're really just going to leave tomorrow?" She asked.

Po sighed. He had expected this ugly conversation sooner or later.

"Yyyuuup." He didn't open his eyes.

Tigress sat up straight. She brushed some grass off her arms.

"Not long ago, a certain Panda gave me a speech about responsibility... how did it go again?"

Oh dear. She was taking that approach.

Now Po got up, crossing his arms. "Well I'm not exactly the only panda anymore, am I?"

"That's wasn't the important part. But as long as we're on the subject, what in the name of the gods does that mean? You're not seriously looking for marriage?"

"What? No! It's not like that!" Po said indignantly.

"Then what is it _like? _What exactly do you hope to gain from this little excursion? Are you curious? Do you want to settle down? Belong? That's another life Po.

And like you said before, this is no longer about you. Think of China. Think of your first family. Your Kung-Fu class! Think of Shifu, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Crane, and... and me!"

"huh?" Po said. She had stuttered on that last part.

"I..." Tigress faltered, her voice rich with anger.

"I... cannot lose you again! When you died, when Shen shot you, I was already defeated! I couldn't fight!"

"What are you talking ab-"Po began to ask, but was cut off by Tigress.

"You've made me weak!"

Po gasped. Tigress's ears drooped low in shame.

"It's a couple months, that's all. I'll be fine." Po said softly. He felt awful.

Tigress glared at him with venom. "A lot can happen in a couple months!" She declared.

"And what if two months becomes three? What if an early snow blocks the mountain passes and you're trapped? Then you'd be there for ten! Ten months! Then you might as well stay there!"

There was a long silence between the two.

"You of all people should understand why I want to go." Po whispered.

"I, of all people, understand why you shouldn't!"

Po looked up at her, confused.

"You were raised a by a goose. I was raised by Shifu. We've always been different. Alone. It's made us strong. It's made us who we are."

Tigress stood up. Her eyes burned with all the intensity of fire. "And now you want something else? Something better? You want to throw everything away and walk out on your own destiny? On yourself?"

Po stood up in front of her. He wouldn't take that kind of insult sitting down. "Maybe this is my destiny!" He shouted hoarsely.

"Maybe I can bring the pandas back!"

Tigress had already started walking away, storming off in the direction of the palace.

/

/

/

Shifu walked around the palace grounds that night, deeply troubled. He hoped Po knew what he was doing. As he passed the training hall he heard the familiar sound of shattering waxwood and teak. It seems Tigress also couldn't find peace that night. She had skipped dinner completely. Maybe he'd do something about that. After making a brief stop by his study, he returned and opened the training hall. Sure enough, his daughter was busy devastating the wooden warriors. Splinters fell like rain. She obviously didn't care how expensive those things were, and how long it took the palace servants to carve new ones. _"It's all good training, I suppose." _Thought Shifu. Perhaps he should have some of the timber components of the obstacle course replaced with spring steel.

"Master Tigress!" Shifu called.

Tigress leapt out of the pit and onto the walkway nearby. She regained her calm and walked over to Shifu. She bowed as per custom.

"Master."

"You can drop that act for now. I'm not here on business."

This took Tigress off gaurd. She clasped her hands behind her back.

"Then why are you here?"

"Po is leaving tomorrow morning, if you didn't know already."

Tigress was instantly sour.

"And you're just letting him go! You won't even try to stop him?"

"He is the Dragon Warrior. Not even necessarily under my authority." Here Shifu rubbed his chin. "Though I will never tell him that."

"But you know he would listen to you." Tigress suggested.

"Po's heart never fails. He'll manage to do the right thing, whatever that may be."

Tigress began to lose the last of her hope. Shifu was quick to notice.

"This is hard for me too. But I'm working on it. Before he passed Oogway told me to let go of the illusion of control. It's done wonders for me, and It could do the same for you. I'm afraid that if Po has set his heart on leaving then I am unable to stop him."

"Very well." Agreed Tigress.

Shifu tapped his staff on the floor as if remembering something. "Anyway, I know what will cheer you up!"

Tigress tilted her head at Shifu. She couldn't remember an occasion where he had used that sentence before.

"You'll never guess what I found in my wardrobe today!" Shifu continued, excited.

This statement didn't get anything but silence from Tigress.  
Shifu pulled a small wooden box out of his robe. It rattled and clinked.

Tigress recognized it instantly. "You're joking?"

"Not at all! It'll be just like old times. What color?"

Tigress could almost relate to Po just then, except Shifu was acting even more strangely than Mr. Ping. It was if he had skipped straight to that stage of parenting that was awkward and lame, when a child had already moved out.

"Wait, don't tell me... Red!" Shifu chuckled lightly. Tigress's expression was highly amusing.

He put the box back in his robe. "Alright, you caught me. I was joking. You are far too old for checkers. But how about we have a game of tiles?"

He still got no answer from Tigress. "Don't tell me you're too old for tiles? You can't outgrow a game like that. There's real strategy!"

Strange or not, Tigress liked that Shifu was trying to cheer her up. He hadn't done anything like that since she became a master, since she earned her title. After that their relationship had become strictly businesslike.

This could be the start of something wonderful, and she would give it a chance.

"You're on."

The tiles were set, and the two of them were pleasantly distracted well into the night.

/

/

/

The fateful morning finally came. The two of them would leave bright and early. Po had actually managed to get a good night's sleep despite the nagging guilt he had in his chest. Po did a quick last-check to make sure he had everything he needed in his pack. He had probably put in too much stuff as usual, but he certainly wasn't ready to travel light like the five did. They didn't pack food, tents, cooking supplies, winter clothes, or anything. Po did not look forward to the day when he would do the same. Although he'd have to figure something out if he really did want to run on the return trip. Po opened his wardrobe and inspected his golden robe. It was so spectacular and awesome! But he figured he should leave it.

Po wanted to travel as just a humble panda. Po could tell his dad hated the robe anyway (though he was too polite to say anything).

Po walked by the still-closed doors of his comrades and down the hall. The gong would be ringing soon. Po whipped up a quick breakfast, then walked out into the morning air. There was a fresh wind that almost seemed to beckon him. His dad would be waiting for him at the top of the thousand steps. That was where he would give his goodbyes.

On a whim Po took a detour to the Jade Palace. He opened the grand double doors and walked inside, his footsteps echoing throughout the hall. He carefully picked up the sword of heroes and inspected the blade. He had discovered that it only cut him when he thought about it cutting him. So he had gotten really good at avoiding that thought. Po could see his reflection in the mirror-like finish of the steel. Would he be wielding this blade someday?

On that thought he quickly set the legendary weapon back in its display.

"You're up even earlier than usual." Came a voice.

It was the voice of Crane, coming from the doorway to the palace. The bird walked over to Po, who was still standing near the sword.

"Hey Crane."

Crane glanced to the sword, then to back to Po, thinking.

"I see you discovered the secret to the sword of heroes... clever!"

"Not really... I must have cut myself accidentally a dozen times. Where's everybody else?"

"They'll be up soon. Your dad's already at the foot of the steps. Have you double checked your pack?"

"Yup. Got everything."

Crane and Po walked down the steps from the palace.

"You know I could fly you part of the way back, over du-han pass. It would cut off a few days or so."

"HAH! You're the best! It's like you enjoy carrying my fat butt around or something."

"I think I do!" Said Crane with a smile.

Po knew Crane had gotten up early to remind him of something. The bird wouldn't say it, but he knew his presence accomplished that goal.

"Naaah... You gotta stay here. Besides, it'll be good for me to run back. I'll learn how to travel light and fast like you guys do."

Crane didn't argue, and they walked to the head of the thousand steps together. Xi was already there, waiting.

"Good morning master Crane! Thanks for showing Po the way."

"haha...very funny dad!"

Crane nodded politely in response.

The morning gong rung, and in a minute all the residents of the Jade palace had lined up at the head of the stairs. Shifu was first to speak.

"Two months Po. And you'd better run back. I have to let the palace chef know he's back on duty."

"Yes master Shifu."

Crane, Mantis, Monkey, and Viper gave Po a warm embrace all at once. Crane stepped on Po's foot as he did, as if scolding him. Po rolled his eyes at the bird. Viper lightly whipped Crane on the foot in retribution. She smiled at Po in an understanding way. Mantis was doing his best not to tear up. Monkey tossed Po a little bag of cookies. "For the road, as usual."

"For me? Aww man you shouldn't have. You're the man!" Said Po in gratitude. Now he was almost in as bad a state as Mantis.

"And don't you forget that. I'll be sure to help with your Kung-Fu class." Said Monkey.

"I think we can all help out with that." Suggested Viper.

And then Po came to face Tigress. He hadn't spoken to her since their argument at the lake.

She spoke first. Her tone was somewhat severe, and her arms crossed.

"You'd better watch your back, because I won't be around to save your skin."

Po frowned. He didn't want to do more damage than he'd already done. She definitely wasn't in a good mood.

"I'll try. Gonna miss you like crazy though."

Po clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.

"Po! What are you doing?" Asked Tigress. Po looked up at Tigress, who was scowling.

"What?" Asked Po.

She opened her arms as if asking for an embrace, and Po quickly obliged.

"I'm Sorry." He said.

Tigress hugged him tightly, enjoying the moment while it lasted. She rested her head on his shoulder. Po knew then that he was forgiven. Maybe better than forgiven? She was close.

"It's okay. I understand. But seriously, be careful out there." Her voice was smooth and low. She didn't want that moment to end.

"I will."

After a few seconds they parted, and Po bowed low to them all. Xi bowed twice to Shifu. "Grand-master Shifu! Thank you for allowing me to stay here. It has been the honor of a lifetime! I will take good care of your pupil."

Shifu nodded in acknowledgement.

And then the painful moment came. With the sun shining brightly in their faces the pandas took the first steps of their long odyssey ahead. Their packs clinked and clanked as they descended the steps one by one. Shifu and the five looked on until the Pandas reached the bottom of the stairs. They continued to watch as the two figures stopped at Mr. Pings, then continued out of the Valley. The small crowd that followed the two larger figures was visible even from the top of the stairs. The village was obviously shocked to see their hero depart on such a great journey.

The Furious Five and their master turned to get to work.

It would be an odd day at the palace.


	10. Chapter 7 (part 2): The Journey Home

**And here is the final chapter! I hope you like it. **

Chapter 7: The Journey Home (prt2)

Po and his dad moved along at a brisk walk. They would have to cover a lot of ground every day to get to the panda village of Tsu-Da on schedule. The weather was better than when Xi had made the first trip, so with any luck they'd be able to go faster. Xi taught Po a few of his ridiculous little songs, and the two prattled away into the evening. They walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. Of course the scenery was incredible, but Po saw the experience as one foot in front of the other. He would certainly have a hard time adjusting to three weeks of it. He preferred travelling with the five, even though they made him run a lot. Now Po could totally understand why. Walking places took ages! But he didn't want to wear out his dad, who certainly wasn't getting younger any time soon.

First the trail crossed the great rice paddies and orchards of the Valley. They hired a pig who passed by in a skiff to ferry them across the river. Even with two pandas in it the little boat zipped up and across the river in no time. Po flipped the sailor a coin as they stepped out on the other side. Then he and his dad got on the road that followed the riverbank out.

They set up camp early that evening in a grassy clearing by a small creek. They started a fire and shared stories. But already Po couldn't help but eat a few cookies and start thinking of home.

After dinner and a quick wash in the creek Po took out his sleeping mat and laid out under the stars. It was a clear night, and Po counted constellations to help himself get to sleep. Just the thought of what he was doing was wild in itself. This could be his greatest adventure yet!

But those chains of thoughts soon scattered. Eyelids drooped, and then Po's mind floated through fields of clouds, drifting in a blank dreamscape.

Then the clouds parted suddenly, and Po found himself in the middle of a garden. But it wasn't just any garden. It was the most meticulously tended and diverse garden Po had ever seen, full of flowers he had never even heard of. It went on for acres and acres and had stepping-stone paths that crisscrossed everywhere. There were fountains, arbors, statues, mirrors, wishing wells, everything!

"But what about you?" Said a disembodied voice.

"What about me?" Replied another.

"What if something happened to you? Who would keep the cycle going? "

Po looked to his left and found the source of the conversation. It was Oogway and the Emperor again. They were walking over a decorative and highly-arched stone bridge.

"Oh don't worry about that!" Continued Oogway. The tortoise looked over at Po, their green eyes locking.

"Things will work out just fine."

Then the vision was shattered and Po was in an entirely different place altogether. It was the Valley of Peace, and yet it wasn't. Po stood in the central Plaza at the foot of the thousands steps. The buildings were mostly burned and the ground was littered with debris. There was a dark haze that the sun could not shine through, creating an eerie sort of twilight. Smoke and other acrid smells made the air borderline unbreathable, and everything was covered in soot. The water of the great canals ran the color of coffee, and the great orchards and flowers that usually livened the atmosphere had withered to dust. Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu had been completely leveled. Dirt-covered animals scavenged through the wreckage, their once bright faces sodden and hopeless. None of them recognized Po as he walked by.

It burned a hole in Po's heart to see his home in such a state. What had happened here? He couldn't see the Jade Palace because of the haze but feared the worst.

As quick as he could Po raced up the thousand steps.

The walls and buildings of the courtyard were demolished but Po could see the Jade Palace was still standing. He ran to the top of the hill and climbed over the battered remains of the front doors. Everything had been looted, and then the place was charred. There was nothing left. Po almost collapsed in despair. Why hadn't he been there? Where were the Five? A strong wind tore through the ravaged palace, blowing away the litter and ashes. It carried its cargo between the pillars and through the gaping holes in the roof. The wind grew in intensity until it began to pull at the roof tiles. Soon they ripped away and were thrown about by the storm. The sound of shattering porcelain filled the air as pieces of the roof were whipped into the mountainside. The wind intensified even more, smashing the walls and ceiling to bits all around Po. It roared and whipped all around him, but didn't touch him. Now nothing but the sacred pool and the mighty pillars of the building were left. The horribly blood-red color of twilight shone over all. And then without warning the terrifying wind slowed to a breeze. The massive timbers and stones that had been carried like toys by the storm fell onto the barren waste around Po. All that the air carried now were the ashes. They fluttered around, almost like a group of butterflies. Down over the sacred pool they went, then between the battered stone pillars.

Po could hear the voices of those he knew. Those he loved.

They accused him, blamed him.  
"I'm sorry!" Po cried pathetically.

The ashes passed near Po, caressing his cheek. He smelled something familiar. Then they coalesced to form something new. It was Tigress, standing not ten feet away with her back turned.

"I wasn't strong enough..."

"Tigress!" Po made a running leap.

But the moment he touched her she turned back to ash, and Po crashed into the ground. Then there was no ground. Po flailed about in the darkness until his right hand smacked something hard.

Po opened his eyes to see the stars still shone brightly above him. The dark red glow to the east told him dawn was not far off. Po sniffed and wiped his tears, and rubbed the hand that had hit a rock next to him. It was cold. He woke up Xi with the smell of breakfast, and the two got an early start. Xi was quick to start telling Po more about Tsu-da. Po tried to appear energetic and interested, but he had lost a lot of heart that night. He tried to forget his worries, and all the people he was responsible for. It was only a couple months. What could go wrong?

"_A LOT!" _Screamed Po's conscience.

The two pandas would cross a major milestone that morning. They would leave the river bank and climb the high ridge that overlooked the southeast side of the Jade Mountains. It did not take long for Po and Xi to get to the top. They stopped to watch the light creep over the land as the sun rose. Po could just barely make out where the River Sen joined with the river from the Valley of Peace, twenty miles away. The mist-wreathed Jade mountains glowed a dull green in the distance. Po could pick out a couple peaks he'd climbed before. Tigress had made him do it, of course. He imagined the Jade Palace sitting on the other side of them. He figured the Five would be in the training hall right about now, being awesome and all.

_"What am I doing!?" _Po thought.

All of China depended on him and here he was pursuing another childhood fantasy. Tigress was absolutely right. Two months was a ridiculous amount of time, and if Po wasn't careful this could easily take longer. Would he really be able to spend a couple weeks in Tsu-Da and then just run back to the Valley? By going there he was pretty much asking to get entrenched in entirely new waves of responsibility. He was the chief's son!

On top of that Po was putting his most fantastic dreams of all on the backstage. How many times during his young life had he craned his neck out of his bedroom window to look up at the Jade Palace? How many times had he held on to that wild hope, that crazy hope, that someday get to belong there? That some day he'd cook for the masters of the Jade Palace. That alone was a dream come true.

Po remembered all the times he'd sat around a table with the Five and Shifu, the most awesome folks he'd ever known. He remembered all the times he'd botched acupuncture with Mantis. That time Crane flew him above the clouds to get a bird's eye view of the sunset. When everyone had autographed his favorite poster. All the times Shifu had kept him in step, made him feel like a respectable person. He remembered how awesome it felt to rip through the obstacle course. He remembered Sparring, games, holidays, festivals, autographs, cookies, battles, and springs night! He remembered the old goose in the low-ceiling noodle shop! He had always had a father that loved him and dusted him off when things got bad. A father that gave him his character, made him who he was. Po thought about the Valley he protected and his little Kung-Fu class. And here he'd ripped the hearts out of every one of these people and salted the wound by going on this little escapade!

And then there was her... the girl of his dreams. The most fantastically awesome and beautiful person he had ever met, or ever would meet. She had saved his butt more times that he could count. He remembered when his greatest hope was just to get an autographfrom her. And yeah, she could never be into him _that way_, but he had the next best thing. He wouldn't put that second to anything else.

Po looked to the far West side of the ridge. He could see the beginnings of the high plateau in the distance, and beyond that the snow-capped peaks of the mountains. He knew where that road led, and that he didn't belong there. It was another life. Surely it was a life worth living, but it wasn't his.

Xi was still rambling on about the autumn feasts at Tsu-Dah, unaware that his son was paying no attention.

"And then we light the frosting on fire! It makes everything carmelized and crunchy! It's the most wonderful thing I've ever tasted! And don't get me started on new years! Po?"

Po was looking back down the path they had hiked up.

"Po?"

"Dad- I can't do this."  
Xi was shocked. "What do you mean? The Valley is in able hands, there's nothing for you to worry about."

Po looked Xi in the eyes. He had that odd feeling again, like he had to put his foot in the door or something. "I'm sorry."

"I... You mean... you're not coming?"

"I want to. But I really shouldn't. I've made up my mind."

Xi sighed. His voice cracked "So this... this is goodbye?" He was obviously hurt.

"This doesn't have to be the last goodbye. I'd love to see you more often."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you don't have to hide from the world anymore. Why not move back from Tsu Dah?" Suggested Po.

This troubled Xi. "We've lived there for almost thirty years Po! We couldn't up and move again."

"But I'm sure there are pandas that miss living in the open. And I'm sure everybody in China misses the Pandas." Po clamped his mouth shut, trying not to laugh. Xi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Tell you what, we'll give it some thought. You were right after all." Xi winked.

"About what?" Asked Po.

"That the rest of China deserves another chance, of course."

Xi gave Po a classic bear hug, patting him on the back.

"You'd make any father proud, Po. I just wish I could have been there for you earlier."

"Could I write to you?" Asked Po.

"Of course you can! Don't be absurd!" Replied Xi. He stepped back and checked his pack.

"I'll have my friend fly messages. You can go ahead and share our spot on the map if you'd like." He continued.

"I hear the emperor owes you one... you should give him a chance too."

Suggested Po. He tossed Xi the bag of cookies Monkey had given him.

"HAH! If only everyone could forgive as easily as you! You're quite wise for your years, you know."

"Ah.. you're just saying that!" Po said sheepishly.

"Of course not! You're the Dragon Warrior!" Insisted Xi.

"And the Dragon Warrior has no place in Tsu-Da, as much as I wish he would. You should get back to the Palace."

Po started walking, then turned back for a moment. "Hey! I'll see you again right?"

His father had already begun walking as well. Xi shouted over his shoulder "You can count on that Po! And perhaps a lot sooner than you think!"

_"Really?" _Thought Po.

The two pandas descended opposite sides of the ridgeline, one to the east and another to the west.

/

* * *

/

Tigress sat on the roof of the Jade Palace in the lotus position. An unusual fog had rolled in over the palace that morning. This made sitting on the roof a lot like sitting in the clouds. It was a wonderful place to meditate, but every time Tigress came close to achieving focus she would become distracted. She felt cold and hollow inside, more than she had in a long time.

But that was nothing new. She'd get over it soon, and get back to work. She just needed a bit of peace and quiet to settle her mind. She was Master Tigress, the leader of the Furious Five. Not some love-sick little kitten. Emotional attachments were rewarding and good for the soul, as long as they were tempered by a level head. Meditation was the solution.

"_Deep breaths...One's energy... flows in through the stomach and out through the top of the head... steady posture...Allow the mind to lift out of the body...Forget all-"_

"It's been a long time since I've seen you up here." It was Shifu. According to her ears he was thirty or so feet back from the edge of the roof. How had he known where to find her?

"Good morning master! I was simply meditating." She asserted.

"Were you now?"

"Or perhaps _trying _to meditate." Tigress corrected herself.

Shifu walked towards the edge where his daughter sat.

"I was having the same problem earlier. It's obviously due to recent events."

Shifu assumed the style of speaking he often did when giving a lesson.

"You must calm your mind. Recognize and snuff the volatile emotions that threaten clear thought."

"Indeed." Replied Tigress flatly. She had heard that little lecture dozens of times before. It was much easier said than done, even for someone of her caliber.

Shifu sat next to her, resting his staff on his shoulder. He studied her carefully for a couple moments, rubbing his little beard.

"But you certainly will have a more difficult time finding focus than I did before."

Tigress raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "And why is that?" She asked, feigning interest.

"Because I'm not in love now, am I?"

At that statement Tigress wished she could shrivel into nothing. Vanish. Disappear. Anything but endure the conversation she knew was coming. She didn't so much as glance at Shifu. In her mind she was mentally berating herself for being so transparent. This could really get her into trouble.

"Well don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong!" Her master continued mockingly. He obviously expected a furious denial from Tigress.

The words that Tigress had prepared in advance died on her lips. She didn't have it in her to lie to him.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Shifu dropped his teasing tone. Of course she would be thoroughly embarrassed. But it's not as if she could do much about the situation.

"I apologize. You didn't deserve that."

He got no reply, but anticipated a few questions.

Shifu thought a moment.

"I figured things out a little while ago. What really surprises me is that you haven't let Po know yet."

Tigress turned her head to face Shifu. "Excuse me?"

"You could have told him yesterday, before he left. Or the day before that. But now he's left, and you may never have another chance. Why?"

Tigress couldn't see where he was going with this. She hadn't expected this conversation at all. She had prayed it would never happen and she could preserve at least a hint of her master's respect.

"I'm-"

"Afraid?" Shifu suggested. He fondly remembered the day he had heard those lines in the inverse. Tigress just stared at him angrily.

Shifu stood up. "Afraid of rejection... or if I'd approve?" He added, then frowned sadly.

"It's my fault you think like that. When I think about it I should not have been surprised at all. Surely you expected me to give you a lecture on discipline right now? Like I used to punish you for crying when you were little? Remember?"

Where was he going with this?

"I'm not proud of that, by the way." Shifu commented. He paced over a stretch of roof tile nearby, obviously deep in thought.

"You expected me to say there's no room in your life for something like love? That it's your sole duty to stand over the Valley like a statue? I suppose you have valid reasons for thinking along those lines."

"Then exactly what will you say?" Demanded Tigress. If Shifu was going to keep jumping over the line between her master and her father he'd better be willing to take a little attitude.

"That if I've learned anything from Oogway, if I've learned anything from Po, then I can't say what I've said before. I assumed that because something had weaknesses, it could not also have strengths. You two have something special to say the least and it would be a shame if you didn't act on that.

The feline's surprise was obvious from her expression.

"You've changed." Tigress said softly.

"As have you." Replied Shifu, smiling wide.

And to the grandmaster's delight, Tigress smiled back at him.

Tigress breathed a sigh of relief and resumed her attempts to meditate. Crisis averted. This matter obviously deserved careful thought.

But Shifu suddenly rapped his staff on the ground to get her attention, annoyed.

"Well what are you sitting around for?" He asked abruptly.

Tigress gave an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Well what am I supposed to do? He's probably out of the province by now. I can't just run after him." Replied Tigress scathingly.

Shifu rapped Tigress lightly on the head with his staff. He spoke sternly.

"Of course you can! Did I raise a coward?!"

"You can't possibly think it's that simple!" Tigress said with obvious irritation. Father or not she commanded a bit more respect than that. But Shifu would have none of it. He assaulted her with his staff, catching Tigress off-gaurd.

"Ow!... What are y- CEASE! This is.. AH!... absurd! (*_Growls angrily) _Have you lost your mind!?" Tigress shouted. The situation was absolutely unreal. He was treating her like he had when she was eight and wouldn't get out of bed.

"I gave you an order! And bring him back if you can!" Shifu shouted. He had asserted his authority, leaving her no choice.

With an enraged roar Tigress leapt from the roof and hurtled down towards the Valley below. Villagers watched with awe as she sped and flew over the roof-tops, a blur of orange and black. Shifu watched carefully from above. The fog around the palace had blown over. _"That's it my child. Follow your heart instead of your head for once." _

Surely this would complicate some matters. But it would make his daughter happy in the end. And no matter what happened Shifu knew she wouldn't let it get in the way of her duty.

_/_

* * *

_/_

_"This is insane! He has gone mad!" _Tigress thought as she swam across the River near the Valley. This was completely not her style. Thoughts raced through her head almost as fast as she raced over the riverbank. She could hardly believe what she was about to do.

/

* * *

/

Po hummed a tune as he walked along the riverbank. He knew he had made the right decision. Though he'd look really stupid walking back into town the day after he left he'd done worse before. At least everyone would be stoked to see him. He might even make it back in time for dinner! Po picked up some stones as he walked along, skipping them in the river. "_Keep going... keep going... YEAH! Eleven! That was a good rock!" _

/

* * *

/

Tigress sprinted on all fours. She would catch up to Po in a few hours if she ran fast enough. It was a good thing Po and his father planned on walking the whole way. She knew Po could manage a good pace, but there was no way his older father could. Po had shown her the route on a map earlier. She hoped she wouldn't miss them somehow. "_Or maybe I should... I don't think I can do this." _Po was well... Po.

_/_

* * *

_/_

Po took off his pack and rested near the water's edge. He had a quick lunch, then shouldered the pack and resumed his journey. Maybe he'd try and sneak into the Palace from the southern path... Then he could surprise everyone at the palace. They wouldn't tell the village for weeks. They could pretend that his fake trip west was all part of an elaborate scheme to draw out their enemies. _"Yeah... that'd be awesome."_

But just as Po held that thought his sixth sense tingled. Someone was coming down the path! And fast! Po quickly hid in the bushes and waited to see who'd come by.

In a few moments Tigress came barreling around the bend at full speed.

"Whoa! Tigress what's going on?" Po stood up from behind a bush.

Tigress skidded to a halt, dust and gravel flying as she clawed at the ground. "Po! What are you doing so close to the Valley? Where's your father?"

Po walked over to the path, carrying his pack under one arm. "I left him at the western ridge. I'm not going."

"What?" Exclaimed Tigress in surprise.

"You were right about everything." Po said with a smile. He set down his pack and crossed his arms. "As usual."

Tigress felt warm and giddy. How did Po always manage to do that to her? She nodded in approval.

Po stood up straighter. "But what's going on? Am I needed back at the palace already? Is it an emergency?"

Tigress's eyes shot wide open. Her mind raced, arguing with itself. Part of it pushed her forward and more of it screamed at her to stop. But stronger than any of those parts were her reason and firm resolve. They always led her through times of crisis.

"_This must end now. For better or worse."_

_"_It is." She said to Po.

Po threw his backpack in the bushes off the trail and started running down the path. "Well then c'mon let's get over there!"

Tigress grabbed his shoulder as he passed by, and swung him back around. "Po!"

"What?"

"It's not that kind of emergency! Listen to me."

Po took a step back and looked around, unsure exactly what other kind of emergency there could be.

"Oh! Uh...okay." Po replied. He stood and waited patiently for Tigress to say something. It certainly didn't seem like there was anything wrong.

"I came to tell you something that I should have told you earlier. But it cannot wait any longer." Tigress breathed deeply, and took a step closer to Po.

"I had to tell you that I..."

She took another step closer, standing directly in front of him. Po saw something in her eyes that he had never seen before, but wasn't sure what it was.

"I hope it doesn't bother you that I..."

Tigress leaned forward. Her blood felt like it was boiling in her veins. She was so close she could feel his breath go by her whiskers. There was no going back.

"That I!..."

She went even closer, her nose brushing Po's lightly. It felt simply electric!

She gently kissed him on the cheek, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It was totally impulsive and not part of the plan, something she had wanted to do for a long time.

Tigress dropped her head to Po's shoulder and tenderly nuzzled in his neck fur, before regaining her presence of mind and stepping back.

"That I... care for you a great deal. Perhaps more than I should."

Many moments passed, and they felt like ages.

Po was frozen in shock, his mouth slightly parted and his eyes wide. Tigress waited patiently for him to say something, anything.

But she heard nothing, and it tore her apart. Every moment she felt as if her heart was being pierced by a knife. It stabbed over and over again, as it had so many times in the past. She turned her gaze to the ground in shame, ears flattened to her head. "_What have I done?" _

_"_Forgive my forwardness. I'll ... see you back at the palace." Her voice was strained and wrought with pain. Tigress didn't want to have the painful conversation she knew would be necessary eventually. She gave a small and polite bow, then turned to head back down the path.

But before she had even taken a single step she was turned back around by Po.

Their eyes met each other directly, and the spirits beneath them were laid bare. Words weren't needed. In each other's eyes they saw a great deal of fear, but there was also hope. A wonderful and daring hope.

And then it happened. There was a terrific thunderclap of sensation as their lips met and their arms began to wrap around one another. Warriors that had faced down entire armies and death itself were surprised to find their hearts beating rapidly out of control. It was as if they could burst from the sheer passion of the moment.

Tigress couldn't have possibly imagined how wonderful this would feel. A simple embrace was enough to send her into a state of shock. But this? This was like being in the center of an inferno. It was overwhelming. Fear and shame burned away like dross, leaving her joyful and warm. The wounds on her heart had vanished as if they had never even existed. It was a whole new world.

It was the first time that either of the two had ever been there. Two lifetimes of deferred dreams and bitter rejection were shattered in an instant. It was too much to handle at once - too much to control!

The kiss became erratic and broke, leaving the two of them breathing heavily and still intertwined. For over half a minute they stayed that way; too excited and breathless to do anything but hold on to each other. But at last they managed to calm down. Or at least enough to think again. Po whooped in joy. He swung her around in a circle like the goofball he was. "I better not be dreaming!" He said with a shout. Then Po remembered his manners and set Tigress back on her feet. This was still Tigress, after all.  
This got a laugh from her. She managed to regain her cool despite blushing wildly. She was thankful no one had come by and seen them do all that in the middle of the road.

"And here I thought _I _was the one being forward."

"Sorry." Said Po hurriedly.

"Sorry? Don't you dare be sorry for that!"

She crammed her head in the fur near Po's neck and embraced him again. She reveled in the thought that now she could do that whenever she wanted. He was hers now! Then she did something that neither of them even knew she could do. She purred. It started low and quiet then became loud and appreciative. Po could feel it reverberate through his chest. He grinned widely and glanced down at Tigress, then made a mental note to tease her about that later.

"No more emergency?" Joked Po.

"No. Mission accomplished. Let's go home." Replied Tigress happily.

_"Yeah... Home. That sounds nice." _Thought Po.

He shouldered his pack and they started jogging back down the trail.

By the afternoon they were back in the Valley. The villagers cheered when they saw Po coming. The news of his cancelled trip spread around the Valley and there was much rejoicing. Xui quickly spread the word across China, and a nation breathed a collective sigh of relief. Soldiers on the march did a full about-face, and back at the Imperial palace the symbolic board-piece representing the Dragon warrior was moved back to its proper locale.

The spirits of Dragon and Tiger moved with a purpose, at a relentless pace. Back along the riverbank they went, through willows and fields. Po tossed another coin to the pig in the skiff who happened to be on their part of the river. The little boat tacked to and fro, whisking them back towards the Valley in short order. The wind carried the faintest of scents past Po's nose. It was familiar but in the wrong season to be what he thought it was. The pig at the tiller couldn't help but be curious at why Po had returned so early, yet was wise enough not to ask. When he reached the shore his two passengers leapt off without another word.

Back through the rice paddies and orchards they went, where fallen flower-petals littered the ground. Field workers raised their hoes and rakes in welcome as the two most famous warriors in all of China ran past. One moved with grace and ease, the other with determination and noise (Po blamed the backpack. He had gotten a lot better at running after all).

The lookouts and soldiers around the area raised their hats in salute, and as the runners entered town there was jubilation in the air.

Po tossed his travel-pack into the noodle-shop as he and Tigress passed by. He quickly waved to his dad behind the counter before taking off running with a goofy smile on his face. Mr. Ping gave a delighted shout and stuck his cleaver in the counter. "Free tofu dessert for everyone!" The customers cheered.

"With purchases, of course!" There were a couple groans.

Po and Tigress ran up the thousand steps and through the courtyard of the Jade Palace. They burst into the training hall, much to the shock of everyone inside. They flocked over to the entrance and showered Po with playful punches as well as welcomes. It was a very happy reunion.

Shifu walked slowly over to his students and stood nearby, tense. Tigress, who was standing near the door, caught his eye. He looked as if he was searching for a sign. Tigress gave him a smile, and a slow nod. This put him at ease.

Po had seen what had happened over the jumble of his comrades, and looked at Shifu curiously.

Shifu pointed to his eyes, then to Po. It was a clear sign that was meant to say "I've got my eye on you!"

Po glanced from Shifu to Tigress in surprise and wonder. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. That story could wait a long time.

All this went mostly unnoticed by the other animals in the room. Mostly.

/

* * *

/

That night the new couple sat under the old peach tree by the cliff, looking at the valley together. They had just had a wonderful dinner among family. Po had mysteriously vanished after doing the dishes and Tigress had walked out of the hall with a few scrolls (as if intending to study in solitude).

They had of course agreed that a conversation was in order.

"Surprising day huh?" Began Po.

"To say the least." Said Tigress, who sitting beside him.

Po shuffled uncomfortably.

" I have a pretty good guess what you wanted to talk about."

"Go on." Encouraged Tigress.

"Alright I'll just jumpt to the chase. I promise we'll keep this whole thing totally under wraps. And it won't get in the way of training. Period "

Tigress grinned.

"Who knew the Dragon warrior was a mind reader?"

Po shrugged.

"But Po..."

"Yeah?"

"We can't keep this a secret forever. I can only ask that you try. And it's certainly not because I wouldn't be proud to be known as your ... certain someone." *

Po smirked, but didn't dare laugh at that statement.

"Hey I totally get it! Not doing that would be a terrible idea. And honestly I'm living the dream already." Po was quite the flatterer, and Tigress was sure it would only get worse over time.

Tigress continued : "But here, I'll make you a promise. The second we're not training, the second we're not in front of everybody 'this thing' like you say, is perfectly alright."

Tigress leaned into his shoulder, humming softly. "In fact, it's highly encouraged."

Po put his arm over her back. "Awesome! But you deserve to be taken out sometime. Dinner maybe?"

Tigress reached a hand into her bag of scrolls and pulled out a smaller paper bag. Then she got some chopsticks.

She pulled a dumpling out of the paper bag and plopped it into Po's mouth. Then she had one herself.

Playfully she pushed Po on his back, then rested her head on his stomach.

"I'm already ahead of you. How about a second dinner?" She joked.

Po swallowed his dumpling. "No complaints."

Po's field of vision was now dominated by vibrant pink. "WOW! Hey I didn't even notice look at the peach tree!"

Tigress rolled her eyes, but did not scold Po for his poor observational skills.

"About time huh?" He said.

Tigress smiled, remembering all the times she had climbed in this tree as a girl. "This tree is always the latest bloomer. I wasn't sure it was even going to do it this year. But the peaches always taste the best."

"You broke that rule too?" Asked Po, surprised.

"It was worth breaking" Tigress replied frankly.

Po suddenly noticed something over to his right.

"And hey! The little one's got a flower too!"

"You don't say? Let me have a look." Tigress walked over to the little tree and cradled the delicate little blossom in her paws.

"Wonderful!" She smiled.

"Isn't it?" Said Po, delighted.

Tigress returned to where she was before and dished out another round of dumplings. She thought a bit, then shook a dumpling at Po.

"Now here's to a thousand more years of good peaches!"

/

* * *

/

-Now play the "everybody was kung-fu fighting" song, and imagine well-drawn and artsy pictures of your favorite characters doing funny things.

**A/N: Don't fact check me here, but I'm pretty sure "Po Ping" means something along the lines of "precious peach" in Chinese. I just thought that'd make for a cute ending. And if you were wondering why I kept mentioning the peach tree in earlier chapters then here's your answer. Maybe someday I'll learn how to use cryptic metaphor in my writing better. I might change it later. I'm definitely going to be coming back and editing the story, or even adding on new elements. **

**It's funny that when I originally started this I wasn't even sure if I wanted to put in Ti/Po. Once again I'm like 40% on that as far as staying true to the KFP characters. Maybe I'll tag on a thousand-word argument as to why that could happen. I'm also afraid that the Tigress/Shifu relationship in the actual KFP may be sadly static. Not that Shifu's a bad person or anything. Awesome! **

**But to answer a few questions about future stories I probably won't do any more full length projects. I'll give the reasons if you send me a P.M. I don't want to type that up again. I could repost an answer I've given to a few people. **

**-But seriously give me critique/opinions on that kiss scene. Was that dynamite or what? (if it was a 'what' give me some help so I can improve it) . **

**-Anyway thanks everybody! I could not have done this, or worked on my creative writing in such a wonderful way if not for you! And by 'you' I mean the writers, readers, followers, reviewers, and even the tens of thousands of non-reviewers that don't give a damn about all my effort. I especially appreciate the people that recommend my stories to others, or give me food for thought. I'm definitely going to re-read the reviews so I remember what to edit. This has been great. **

**Now stop reading and go watch some kung-fu movies! **


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